Mona Verma is an alumnus of Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, and post- post-graduation Certification holder from Harvard Business School. She is an award-winning author of 11 books and over a dozen anthologies, which have been the subject of the thesis for many Research Scholars and the ICSE ELT series.
The former member of the Asia Development Bank, also co-owns DISHA, wherein she works as Executive Presence Coach and Leadership Skills Facilitator for MNCs and PSUs. Recipient of the Rex Karamveer Gold Medal by ICongo and the United Nations, she has been listed in the 50 Iconic Authors 2022 Category by Aesthetics International. The recipient of the Uttarakhand Ratan, Hindustan Times woman of the year, and Munshi Premchand Sahitya Puraskar is also serving as Chairperson Literature Committee, FICCIFLO, Uttarakhand for the 4th consecutive year, as well as a member Advisory Board for Dehradun Literary Festival.
She is also serving as a Mentor at Womennovator - a Global Incubator for Women and has been repeatedly invited by the Defense Services Staff College, Wellington, for training the armed forces from both India and other nations.
India Today's March 2023 edition has listed her amongst the Top 8 emerging Indian women. In October 2023, her name and writings were found in an impressive mention in the prestigious British Routledge Encyclopedia of Indian Writing in English. She is the co-founder of House of Harmony - a literary initiative to direct and curate literary events across the country. Her latest book, The Scent of the Himalayas, has been long-listed for the VoW awards 2025.
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Banaras: A City Woven in Words and Colours | Mona Verma and Milli Vikamshi in Conversation with Iti Khurana | OCLF
On 22nd Nov 2025 2.00 PM TO 2:40 PM
This vibrant session brought together author and poet Mona Verma and award-winning artist and curator Milli Vikamshi for a soulful exploration of Banaras. In conversation with marketing and publicity expert Iti Khurana, the dialogue unfolded as a sensory and emotional journey into one of India’s most timeless cities.
The speakers reflected on Banaras as a place where life and death coexist with grace, where colours carry stories, and where every ghat, alley, and ritual holds centuries of memory. Mona Verma spoke about the city’s sculptural identity, its spiritual depth, and the poetic imagery that defines its essence. Milli Vikamshi shared her own lived connection with Banaras, describing it as a city filled with generosity, surreal beauty, and a quiet acceptance of both beginnings and endings.
Together, they explored Banaras as a city of devotion, art, rituals, and resilience, offering insights from literature, visual art, history, and personal experience. The audience was transported into the heart of a place that remains alive with colour, culture, and creative inspiration.