FROM THE ITC GRAND BHARAT, GURUGRAM

                  RESPONSIBLY RESPLENDENT RAJ

It was a tough call. Very.

Dipak Haksar and Gurpreet Kaur together decided to recruit Rajarajeswari as a beautician at the Kaya Kalp Spa at ITC Grand Bharat, though she was not educated. This was five years back.

Today, Rajarajewswari (39 years of age and educated till Standard 5 only) popularly known as Raj is a level 5 Therapist at the iconic ITC Grand Bharat, Gurugram...God’s ways are mysterious!

(Dipak Haksar, a pedigreed hotelier known for the good qualities of his head and heart is presently the Chief Executive of ITC Group of Hotels. Gurpreet Kaur, is the Spa Manager at ITC Maurya, New Delhi).

Read on the inspiring life story of Raj...

Tamil Nadu born Raj’s parents were not educated. The Govt. job of a Gardener, brought her father to Delhi along with his four children. Life was so tough. At the age of 15, Raj started working as a servant maid.

Her elder sister Sunita was her inspiration. At 17, she got acquainted with the first lessons of being a beautician from her sister. Incidentally, the lady for whom Raj was working was running a Beauty Parlour in Delhi. From her home, Raj got transferred to the Beauty Parlour as a Helper. Raj’s sincerity and commitment drew the attention of the Parlour owner. 

Justifiably, Raj proved her mettle as a Beautician in no time...seven years passed. The owner shifted from Delhi to Gurugram. The Delhi Parlour was closed. The owner gave full responsibility to Raj; to run the Beauty Parlour as its Manager...understandably, Raj was successful in running the same for a year. Then came the death of the lady owner...Raj joined VLCC for a year...later worked as a Freelance Beautician. She worked very hard ...was on her toes visiting homes and offering her services. Her caring and nurturing nature was so pleasing that she was always kept busy as a freelancer. 

Says Ritu Srivastava, Spa Manager ITC Grand Bharat “Raj had joined us as a Beautician in 2014. Over a period of time, she has gradually developed into a Therapist. This happened due to her willingness to excel and learn the nuances of the Spa Industry”.

What I found profoundly appealing in Raj is that she sponsors all the educational needs of her sister’s children Shivam and Abhishek. Cooking is her hobby.

“I do understand everything that a guest explains in English. I also speak well in English. That said, I have to improve further” admits Raj.

Tail Piece: Raj need not worry at all. The ITC Grand Bharat HR team is so empathic and people passionate. The HR Department of this hotel will soon orchestrate spoken English classes for its staff members. This is an Employee Engagement Initiative that will be flagged off soon. It is gratifying to note that ITC Grand Bharat is blessed with a young and dynamic HR team, ready to serve its staff members. This ‘always switched-on’ HR team is led by Trishna Kaur, known for her compassionate honesty and relentlessly consistent optimism.

Text and Pictures: R Kesava Mallia in Gurugram