Hiranmaya was created by us, Aishwarya Chitoor and Meera Kumanan, two post-grads who had a little too much time on their hands and a great love for reading. We met in 2017 on a study abroad program in Madrid and instantly bonded over a shared love of teen fiction, celebrity gossip, and ice cream. Since then, in coffee shops and in between classes, we raved about the books we were reading and the lessons we were learning. We singlehandedly decided that there is truly nothing better than a good book and a hot mug in your hands (coffee for Meera, tea for Aishwarya of course). 

As we embark into our twenties, we realized we had to expand our bookshelves from just teen fiction. We wanted to document our exploration of adult literature, hoping to find stories that expand our minds and force us to rethink today’s world. And thus, Hiranmaya was born. We also strive to use this platform to promote minority authors and their often unheard narratives as we continue our journey on learning and growing from our bookshelves. 

The name “Hiranmaya” means “golden” in Sanskrit and spoke to us because of the power it exudes. To us, a great story is as valuable as gold. 

Aishwarya describes herself as an advocate for beautiful, important stories. She claims to have come out of the womb with a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other. Her love for literature began with mythical worlds such as the Magic Treehouse and Ella Enchanted and grew to a love for powerful, complicated female characters. Some children ask for videogames and shiny, new bikes. Nope, not Aishwarya. Instead, her parents put a cap on how many novels she could buy in a month and handed her the most prized item in her wallet: a library card. Ever since, she has read books in all the nooks and crannies of her home and written her own poetry in between the lines. Aishwarya has gone on to compete in regional and local poetry slams. She dreams of a more colorful world led by the strong women she reads about, which is the source of her inspiration for this blog. When she’s not hanging out with her dog or watching Indian soap operas with her parents, Aishwarya is working as a mental health counselor and plans on pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology, exploring the stigma behind mental health in South Asian communities.

Meera has been a lifelong lover of good stories. Raised on her grandmother’s stories of Indian folklore and Hindu mythology, her penchant for reading would only seem natural. However, when it was time for Meera to graduate from picture books, she refused, much to her book-loving mother’s dismay. On one long family road trip, bored with nothing else to do, she began her first chapter book – Junie B. Jones –  and was hooked ever since. While most eight year olds would groan at reading assignments, Meera would regularly get in trouble for reading under her desk. Since then, she’s been chasing stories with smart, bookish characters that challenged the status quo – from Matilda to Lizzie Bennet. She hopes to use Hiranmaya to open a platform for book-lovers to find and recommend great stories with powerful and diverse protagonists. In addition to her passion for reading and savoring an overpriced latte, Meera is also excited to be pursuing her Masters in Public Health at Columbia University, planning to conduct research in improving science and health literacy in vulnerable communities.