ABOUT

 

Umaa, or Uma Inder, was born into the love marriage of her Gujarati mother and Punjabi father. Her Desai maternal ancestry begins in Nadiad, or Nandgam, the City of Nine. The original Desais of Nadiad are interrelated with the ancient Nagar (no-poison) community of Shiva devotees. As the legend goes, this sect was mystically appointed by Lord Shiva to both subdue and protect the virulent Naga (serpent-beings). Umaa's paternal ancestry originates in the Arora tribe, a Hindu warrior caste from the Indus Valley in Punjab.

 

Umaa was born and raised in Kenya where her maternal grandfather, a dedicated yogi, explorer and entrepreneur is celebrated as “Freedom Fighter Extraordinary”. He and his devoted wife offered their family home and vision to serve as a base for the ‘Mau Mau' rebels’ bloody rise for independence. 

 

Umaa’s first memories are recurring dreams in infancy. Dreams of the spatial relationship between a particle and the vibrating edge of space; of an “endless hum,” the primordial sound current. As a youth, she was a competitive athlete with a speed and power that defied her small frame.

 

Umaa trained in gemology and metal smithing, and while forging heavy slabs of metal, she remembered the call to freedom. Compelled by childhood dreams and visions of a shamanic teacher of Native American blood and emerald eyes, Umaa planned to leave for Peru at 20. She was gifted a one-way ticket to Bali instead...