Intro

Many women who grow up with connections to South Asian heritage, like myself, often find themselves navigating a special kind of inner landscape. There's a deep love for the rich traditions and strong family bonds we inherit. Alongside this, we might also become aware of certain societal expectations, especially around a woman's role, that haven't always matched modern ideas about independence or personal ambition. This isn't unique to those living overseas, it's a conversation many of us have, whether in Punjab or elsewhere, as we try to balance respecting our roots with shaping our own lives. It's about finding a way to weave our own unique threads into the beautiful pattern of our heritage. This inner dialogue, this search for harmony between honoring the past and nurturing personal growth, has been a constant companion in my life. It has deeply shaped how I see myself, my heritage, and eventually, the spirit behind the vision that grew into Fulkhari. This vision is strongly tied to appreciating the strength and artistry passed down through generations, especially by women.

The Echoes of Expectation

There's a certain weight that comes with carrying tradition, especially when you live between different cultural contexts. It often shows up as a delicate tightrope walk. On one side, there's the deep desire to belong, to uphold family honour, and to respect the wisdom passed down through generations. On the other side, there's the natural human drive for self-discovery, personal growth, and the freedom to define one's own path. These hopes are often encouraged more openly in Western societies.

For many women in our communities, this walk can feel particularly tricky. Expressing individuality, pursuing careers that aren't traditional, or making independent life choices are actions that might seem normal elsewhere. But sometimes, these things can be seen as defiance, a rejection of cultural norms. There's often huge pressure, both from inside ourselves and from others, to keep everyone happy and to fit within certain accepted boundaries. This can sometimes lead to the quiet sacrifice of personal expression to maintain peace within the family or community. It's the fear of being seen as "too modern" and losing touch with your roots. Or, on the flip side, feeling confined if you stick too closely to expectations that haven't kept up with the way the world has changed. 

Even as places like Punjab modernize quickly, certain conservative ways of thinking and deeply set cultural barriers around women's roles and freedoms can remain. This creates tension between generations and between personal desires and what society expects. Simple choices about lifestyle, relationships, or even clothing can become points of conflict, highlighting different views on what is appropriate, safe, or considered a woman's place.

Recognizing Strength in Our Lineage

My own journey of reconnecting with my heritage involved more than just rediscovering traditions like natural skincare. It wasn't just about appreciating family heirlooms, like the printed fabric my grandfather gifted my grandmother which held deep personal meaning for me. It also involved looking deeper into the lives of the women who came before me: my mother, my grandmothers, my great-grandmothers. I began to see beyond the roles they played and recognized their incredible resilience, creativity, and quiet strength in how they managed their own worlds and situations. 

Thinking about traditional crafts like Phulkari embroidery, even though it wasn't a skill I personally learned, became symbolic. Learning about the dedication, the artistry, and the cultural value placed on this detailed work, done mostly by women, highlighted a legacy of female skill and contribution. It wasn't just about making beautiful things. It was about mastery, patience, and leaving a lasting mark. It was a form of self-expression and influence within their society. It made me appreciate the different forms strength can take, both in quiet perseverance and in boldly pushing boundaries.

Weaving Independence with Respect

This understanding deeply shaped my point of view. It became clear that honouring heritage didn't mean just copying the past without question. Instead, it meant finding the lasting spirit: the resilience, the value placed on natural wisdom, the importance of community, the spark of creativity, and carrying that forward. It meant finding a way to weave those positive threads into a modern life, creating a pattern that felt true to me.

It's about striving for independence while also maintaining deep respect for culture. It's about recognizing that questioning certain norms isn't a rejection of heritage. Instead, it can potentially help heritage evolve in a healthy, inclusive way. It's also acknowledging that many of the successful, boundary-pushing women we admire today, across all cultures, often had to manage similar tensions between what was expected of them and what they hoped for themselves.

The Spirit Informing the Vision

This entire internal landscape – moving between worlds, the push-and-pull of tradition and independence, and appreciating female strength and artistry – is deeply woven into the spirit behind the vision for Fulkhari. While discovering powerful natural ingredients was a practical starting point, the deeper "why" comes from this experience.

The vision became about more than just skincare. It grew into a desire to create something that showed this balance. It aims to be rooted in authentic heritage, like the name "Fulkhari" itself, chosen later for its rich symbolic meaning. It is also committed to the nurturing power of nature. And it's designed for the ease and needs of modern life. It carries a hope to connect with others who walk similar tightropes, offering not just effective products, but perhaps also a quiet affirmation of their own journeys.

It’s about celebrating the wisdom passed down, much of it kept alive and practiced by women. It’s also about supporting the freedom to define our own paths. Fulkhari, in its essence, hopes to be a small reflection of that possibility: honouring our roots while confidently reaching for our potential, weaving a future that respects the past but isn't limited by it.

— Rupali, Founder