WALTHAM, MA– Shobha Shastry, one of the first female Indian-American entrepreneurs who followed her wedding décor passion for serving the Indian-American and South Asian community in New England for more than two-and-a-half decades, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday.
Ms. Shastry, who was honored with Lifetime Achievement Award by INDIA New England News in 2018, died in her sleep at her home. She was suffering from kidney disease.
This is a breaking story and will be updated later.
Ms. Shastry was founder and CEO of Alankar Event Planners & Decorators. She had provided wedding services, decorations and mandaps in New England for about 25 years. She provided her services for free for charities and the needy, helping thousands of couples get married in New England.
Known for her gold-star service, Ms. Shastry never missed on her unwavering commitments to her clients and service.
On April 6, 2004, when her husband, Sharad, suddenly passed away, she had been booked at two weddings to provide decorations and mandaps. On the following Saturday, she went ahead with her tasks at both weddings and on Sunday cremated her husband’s body. Ms. Shastry did not even tell her clients that her husband had passed away, because it would have spoiled their weddings.
Ms. Shastry is also one of the first female Indian-American entrepreneurs in New England. In 1999, she co-founded Sajawat with her partner, Nina Sawe. When a few months later, Ms. Sawe moved to New York, Ms. Shastry changed the name of the business to Alankar Event Planners & Decorators and continued the mantle. In 2004, when her husband passed away, she continued with her passion for business as a single mom of a daughter. She takes care of her 90-year-old father at her home.
Alankar Decorators has been providing wedding decorations, mandaps, and event planning throughout New England. Ms. Shastry was the creative and operational brainchild behind this successful endeavor. Her passion and sustained dedication to clients made Alankar the premier “go-to” source for South Asian Weddings in the region. Alankar was the largest decor house in the northeast with vast designs and mandaps.
