UK audiences were left moved and inspired by the remarkable talents of Mauli Adkur and Nazneen Shaikh during their recent visit as part of Deepstambh Foundation’s Manobal initiative. Rahul Laud reports
She came, she played, and she left audiences stunned. Mauli Adkur, a young resident of Solapur, Maharashtra, and a physically challenged professional working as an Executive Assistant at the Solapur Municipal Corporation, captured attention during her recent UK visit with an extraordinary musical performance — playing the harmonium with her toes.
For Mauli, however, the performance was about much more than music. It was a demonstration of determination, confidence and the ability to overcome barriers.
Mauli travelled to the UK as part of a series of events organised by Deepstambh Foundation’s Manobal, accompanied by Yajuvendra Mahajan, Founder and Chairman of Deepstambh Foundation’s Manobal, and visually impaired singer Nazneen Shaikh, who also enthralled audiences with her singing.
The Deepstambh team travelled across seven UK locations — Coventry, Manchester, Orpington, London, Reading, Birmingham and Milton Keynes — with the aim of motivating and inspiring audiences through their stories and talents.
Originally from Kolhapur district, Mauli holds a Diploma in Computer Engineering and a B.Com degree. Her journey took another significant turn in 2021 when she joined the Deepstambh Foundation. While residing there, she completed postgraduate studies in Psychology and subsequently secured opportunities as an Executive Assistant at the Solapur Municipal Corporation and as an Assistant Executive Officer at BMC, Mumbai. She chose the Solapur position.
Alongside her, Nazneen Shaikh brought her own inspiring story to the UK. A visually impaired singer, Nazneen has pursued formal education in music, completing her Visharad and continuing her studies towards a Master’s degree in Economics.
Behind their journeys stands Mahajan, who has been leading Deepstambh Foundation since 2009. The organisation is described as India’s first fully accessible residential institute, providing free education, competitive-exam training and skill development to persons with disabilities, orphaned youth, transgender individuals and economically disadvantaged students.
Mahajan’s work was recognised with the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in 2023, conferred by the President of India. Deepstambh Foundation has campuses in Jalgaon, Pune and Delhi and has supported hundreds of young people in pursuing education, dignity and independent lives.
At Manobal, the emphasis extends beyond academics to building confidence, independence and self-reliance. Today, more than 600 students from 18 states across India study through Deepstambh Foundation’s offline and online programmes.
Deeply inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Mahajan began working with talented students from rural and tribal communities who had limited access to opportunities. During his travels across rural Maharashtra, he has said that he “listened, learned, and sought to understand who had been left furthest behind and why.”
The journey, he said, demanded sacrifice. Choosing purpose over comfort, Mahajan left behind opportunities in city life, sold his ancestral property, opted for a simple registered marriage and dedicated his personal resources to building what would become the Deepstambh Foundation.
In the UK, Mauli and Nazneen offered a powerful extension of that mission — one through music played with her toes, the other through a voice that rose beyond visual impairment.
Their performances served as a reminder that sometimes the most powerful stories are not told through words, but through the courage to simply step forward and show what is possible.
