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(B)Log in It’s time to revel in an addiction called blogging. And women of India can’t just have enough of it. AT checks out DEEPIKA SAHU Times News Network

From heartbreaks, travel joys, motherhood anxieties to recipes — the blogsphere seems to be the perfect place for the Indian women now to create, share and bond. The virtual world has become the latest meeting place for venting out one’s innermost feelings. And age is no bar in this ‘blogging business’.

Ask 45-year-old Ranjana Bhatia about her initiation into blogging, and she says with a laugh, “It’s my daughter who introduced me to blogging. I was always interested in writing but it was only meant for me. Through blogs, I discovered a whole new world and today I have five blogsites.” Interestingly, Bhatia has marked out different days in the week for different blogs and proudly claims that she can now “teach her daughter a thing or two about blogging”.

For many, it as a celebration of their own space and freedom. As says Frenchita R, a US-based medico, “It’s a celebration of I, me, myself. I cherish the freedom to write on any topic and find the interaction with fellow bloggers enriching.”

In the virtual world, there are no rules, no repressive social structures with fixed guidelines within which one can operate. There’s complete freedom to express one’s inner self. Move over lock and key diaries, blogsites are now becoming the urban woman’s new companion!

According to a survey, a phenomenally high number of women in India (51 per cent) use blogs to express their pent-up feelings. Whether sharing a photograph of your garden or granny’s favourite recipe, many women in India are now discovering new forms of companionship through their blog.

As says Tanushri Podder,

a self-confessed addictive blogger, “From travel writing to short stories, blogging comes across as a wide canvas. I also write on issues that angers me and I have developed a bonding with my fellow bloggers. Many young bloggers also ask for guidance from seniors like me.”

Tea exporter Sunita Chotiya today finds blogging more exciting than her business. As she says, “Every day I spend four to five hours on blogging. Even in my office, my mind wavers to the thought of my writing. It gives me a high expressing my thoughts through writing.”

And if you think that blogging is only limited to the Queen’s language, then you are wrong. In recent times, even regional languages are seeing an increase in the number of women bloggers. Ahmedabad-based media services company has been promoting blogging in Hindi and Gujarati.

As says Sanjay Bengani of the same company, “Our main aim was to provide a multi-lingual forum. Our Hindi bloggers have been very actively involved. The Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRGs) are having their share of connection to their roots through blogging in Gujarati.”

Money might be slow to come through blogging in India, but many of these women are getting their share of fame and recognition. As says Bhatia, who has also won an award in 2007 for her blogs, “I have gained confidence and constant feedback from readers have added an element of maturity to my writing. And we had a stall in the book fair at Pragati Maidan and I couldn’t believe myself when people actually asked me to give autographs.”

So, it’s time for some net gain!

deepika.sahu@timesgroup.com