Pooja Bedi, daughter of the late Protima Bedi, has recently shared intimate details about her mother's remarkable life and death. Protima Bedi, a celebrated model-turned-dancer known for her free spirit, passed away in 1998 at the age of 49 during a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar.

Pooja revealed that her mother’s body was never recovered after she died in the mountains. In a conversation with SCREEN, Pooja opened up about her mother's wish to merge with nature upon her death. While Pooja still mourns that her mother didn't live to see her 50th birthday, she finds solace in the fact that Protima lived—and departed—on her own terms.

Protima Gauri Bedi was born on October 12, 1948, in Delhi. She was the second of four children. Her father, Laxmichand Gupta, was a trader from Haryana, and her mother, Reba, was of Bengali origin. Protima's early life was spent in Karnal and Panchgani, and she later graduated from St. Xavier's College in Mumbai. In 1969, she married Kabir Bedi, and they had two children: Pooja and Siddharth. The couple divorced in 1974.

Protima began her career as a model in the late 1960s. She gained notoriety in 1974 for streaking at Juhu Beach in Mumbai during the launch of a Bollywood magazine. In 1975, at the age of 26, Protima's life took a turn when she witnessed an Odissi dance recital. Inspired, she became a student of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and dedicated herself to learning the dance form. She embraced a saintly life, changed her name to Protima Gauri, and eventually started traveling in the Himalayan region.

In 1990, Protima founded Nrityagram, a dance school near Bangalore, Karnataka. She also began an annual dance-music festival called Vasanthabba in 1994, where artists from across the country gathered to perform.

Pooja shared that Protima had prepared for her departure, even writing a letter summarizing her life and expressing happiness before venturing into Kullu. Pooja recalled her mother's final note, in which Protima expressed her gratitude and happiness. Protima's belongings were spotted at Malpa village.

Pooja expressed both grief and acceptance of her mother's passing. She said, “There are so many regrets about her leaving the planet before she even turned 50. There is so much that I wish I had done with her. But she was a woman who lived life on her terms. She lived the way she wanted, and she literally died the way she wanted. She always said she wanted to die out in nature and, you know, be one with nature". She further explained that her mother didn't want a traditional cremation ceremony but wanted to merge with nature.

Pooja's brother, Siddhartha, had committed suicide in 1997 after being diagnosed with schizophrenia. This tragedy deeply affected Protima and contributed to her decision to renounce public life.

Protima’s autobiography, based on her letters and journals, was compiled and published by Pooja in 1999. The book, titled "Timepass," gives an account of Protima's life, relationships, and her transition into a sanyasin.