Pooja Bedi recently shared insights into the extraordinary life and death of her mother, Protima Bedi, the model-turned-Odissi dancer who founded Nrityagram. Protima Bedi passed away in 1998 during a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar. Pooja revealed that her mother had always desired to die in nature, and her passing aligned perfectly with that wish.

Protima Bedi, born Protima Gupta in Delhi on October 12, 1948, challenged societal norms throughout her life. She gained recognition as a model and later dedicated herself to Odissi dance, becoming a student of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra at the age of 26. In 1990, she established Nrityagram, a dance village near Bangalore, Karnataka, which became a significant cultural hub.

Pooja Bedi recounted that her mother was prepared for her "grand finale" and had even written a will and a letter before embarking on her pilgrimage. Protima's desire was to become one with nature, and that is exactly how she passed away. Following a landslide in Malpa, near Pithoragarh, her body was never recovered. As Pooja stated, her mother became "one with the universe, one with the earth," her incredible energy merging with nature. In August 1998, a landslide in Uttar Pradesh was feared to have killed more than 180 people, including Protima Gauri Bedi, according to a list of victims released by the external affairs ministry. The calamity occurred in Malpa village of Pithoragarh district, about 60 km from Dharchula on the Indo-Tibet border.

Protima Bedi's life was marked by her free spirit and refusal to conform to societal expectations. She was married to actor Kabir Bedi, and they had two children: Pooja Bedi and Siddharth. Protima's legacy lives on through her contributions to Indian dance and the establishment of Nrityagram.

Pooja compiled and published her mother's journals and letters in a book titled "Timepass: Memoirs of Protima Bedi" in 1999. The book provides insights into Protima's relationships, lifestyle, the creation of Nrityagram, and her transformation into a sanyasin. In her final years, Protima retired from public life and sought to explore the Himalayas.