Shakuntala was the daughter of Sage Vishwamitra and Menaka, a heavenly nymph. She was raised by sage Kanwa and married to Dushyanta, the king of Hastinapur. Later, she gave birth to Bharata, the ancestor of the Kuru clan. Her story is an important part of the Mahabharata. Shakuntala’s Birth and Childhood Script: Dalat Doongaji.

ZAHEERABAD : Like the legendary artisans of ancient India, Pasari Shakuntala is carrying forward a rich tradition of wood carving. With each stroke of her chisel, she pays homage to the past while shaping the future of Indian handicrafts. Hailing from Bakshodi village in Bidar district of Karnataka, Shakuntala, who is in her 40s, married Naghshetty of Zaheerabad about 25 years ago. Her parents — Veeramma and Vaidyanath — taught her to carve beautiful toys from wood. Joining the Vishala Self Help Group (SHG) with support from Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) officials, Shakuntala took her first major step towards entrepreneurship.