Patna: Purnima Padmasana was overweight during her school and college years, and that made her a constant subject of ridicule. Her art teacher and seniors poked fun at her for being fat. Our society treats being fat as something to be ashamed of. It can be a part of someone’s beauty, but prejudices attached to the subject are still rampant. During her graduation, Purnima aspired to become a scientist. An unfortunate incident led to her home confinement for 4 years. 

Who is Purnima Padmasana?

Purnima Padmasana is a resident of Patna, Bihar. She is a mother of two daughters and works as a corporate banker. She is also associated with initiatives like assisting old age homes and working for women empowerment. She led a happy childhood, but her late teenage years became a traumatic phase of her life. 

College years

Purnima was 86 kilograms when she started her college life. She endured constant teasing and was not even spared by her arts teacher who called her with demeaning nicknames like Amavasya and Bulldozer. Despite facing ridicule, Purnima gathered courage one day and asserted that, regardless of others’ perception, she considered herself as Miss India. Little did she know then that she would actually go on to compete in the beauty pageants. 

An unexpected event

Purnima shares that she was a rank holder during her graduation. She wanted to become a scientist, but her life took an unexpected turn. A boy who had a liking towards her visited her house once and expressed a desire to marry her. Misunderstanding arose within her family, and Purnima’s parents suspected her of having an affair and instead of trusting her, they trusted the boy’s family. As a result, Purnima was confined within the house for four years. 

Beginning of something new

After four challenging years, Purnima’s father looked for a suitable match for her. However, when a potential match was found, the boy’s family insulted Purnima’s father for her insecure future. In response, Purnima promised her father that she would prove her worth. She appeared for the bank exams, and successfully secured a position as a probationary officer, marking a new start to her life. 

Beauty pageants

During her four years of confinement, Purnima shed 30 kgs of weight. In the year 2009, she got married and welcomed her daughter in 2011. With the support of her husband and daughter, she ventured into preparing for beauty pageants. Her persistence bore fruit in 2022, when she clinched the title of Mrs India One in a Million Second Runner-Up. She was crowned by Aditi Govitrikar, India’s first Mrs World and a former Mrs India.