From Agarbatti Maker to Nun: Odisha Woman’s Journey Inspires Many

Kerubadi, Odisha, May 19, 2025: Puspanjali Nayak, a 22-year-old former agarbatti (incense stick) factory worker from Bhubaneswar, made her final profession of vows as a nun of the Congregation of Teresian Carmelites (CTC) during a solemn Eucharistic celebration held on May 17, 2025, at St. Joseph’s Substation Church in Kerubadi. The church is under the Holy Rosary Parish of Daringbadi in Kandhamal district, Odisha. Hundreds of faithful, including six Catholic priests and two nuns, participated in the celebration.

Born in November 2002 to late Kaspati and Muktilota Nayak, Puspanjali is the fourth among five siblings. Forced to drop out of school after Class 10 due to financial hardship, she began working in an agarbatti factory in Bhubaneswar in 2019 to support her widowed mother and family.

“I initially joined the agarbatti industry to support my family. However, while working there, I felt a divine call to religious life. This calling ultimately led me to join the CTC congregation. I am deeply grateful to God for His precious invitation to serve Him and His people,” said Sister Puspanjali during the ceremony.

Her mother, who was present at the ceremony, expressed deep pride and gratitude: “My daughter worked hard in the incense industry, and now she is serving God. Her life is an inspiration to many in our region.”

In his homily during the ceremony, Father Jeram Nayak emphasised that God's call knows no barriers. “God calls regardless of whether one is rich or poor, orphaned or abandoned, fatherless or motherless,” he said.

Sister Puspanjali, along with four companions, made their first profession of religious vows as nuns of the Congregation of Teresian Carmelites (CTC) on May 3, 2025, in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The CTC, which emerged from the Third Order Discalced Carmelite Congregation founded in 1866 by the Servant of God Mother Eliswa in Kerala, focuses on value-based education and upliftment of girls and underprivileged children through schools, orphanages, and boarding houses. Sister Puspanjali serves in the congregation's Jhansi province.

Among the attendees during the celebration in Kerubadi was 15-year-old college student Saudamini Naya, who shared, “I am inspired and encouraged by the deep faith of Sister Puspanjali, who never gave up praying and connecting with God. That is why she is a nun despite very challenging circumstances. She is a model to all of us.”

The celebration in Kerubadi marked another milestone in the spiritual journey of the village, which recently celebrated 110 years of Catholic faith on May 1, 2025, the feast of St. Joseph. Over the decades, it has produced one bishop, 15 nuns, and five Catholic priests.

By Fr. Purushottam Nayak