kolkata as the world struggles to cope with the effects of the novel coronavirus people like mehuli kamdar a kolkatabased homemaker seems to have quietly emerged as a source of strength for hundreds across the world through her online live sessions and innovative teaching methods the 42yearold who has specialized in jain studies is much in demand during the lockdown periodsoftspoken mehuli has a background in jain studies and a few years ago supported by her businessman husband her two sons and other family members she started giving lectures on jainism focusing on right living and pure thinkingvarious sociocultural and study groups are working with her or approaching her to reach out to a larger audience she recently did a unique customized tambola game during a facebook live session the game was specially created to teach jain families across the world about their culture the session was attended by over 1750 people who tuned in from different time zones across the world as governments social organizations help groups and other authorities are putting their efforts to offer financial support food water medicines protective essentials to the people in the country mehuli and others like her are providing muchneeded psychological and emotional support to themover the years i felt that people wanted someone to help them someone to speak to them and get back to the deep cultural roots of our nation a lot of solutions to modern day problems lie in our ancient texts people didnt want overtly hardcore religious discourses she saidshe had the opportunity of being invited to various conventions in cities across the world to give her simple yet poignant and moving lectures an author and winner of various awards for her discourses she had preferred to stay out of the limelight earlier focusing on her familywhen the covid 19 pandemic was reported she would often pray for people across the world she had put out some youtube videos as a message for people to be strong in these difficult days slowly as things got worse she would often get calls or was approached on social media from people who wanted to reach out people would call me or message me wanting to simply talk to me or find a solution to these depressive times i could make out that often they wanted someone to guide them in these times she saidlater mehuli started her online lectures and spiritual teaching and invited people from across the world to join today her lectures are attended by indians especially gujratis across all age groups who sign in to listen to her bhaven her husband helped her by installing a small streaming setup at their housei was most touched when a senior gentleman from dubai reached out to me and thanked me for what i was doing he was 65 and a cancer patient he felt comforted and positive after our sessions and it helped him keep going titled man se haar man se jeet she stresses on positive thinking