Subhechcha Ganguly 
In the vibrant world of arts and culture, Thought Lantern shines as a beautiful reflection of creativity, intellect, and expression. Curated by Palak Chauhan, the magazine captures the essence of culture, literature, and the human experience through diverse perspectives. Palak, who is also an accomplished author, has poured her heart into creating a platform that celebrates cultural richness and artistic voices. Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with her about her journey, inspirations, and the vision behind Thought Lantern.
1. Palak, congratulations on curating such a thoughtful and engaging cultural magazine. Could you tell us what inspired you to create Thought Lantern?
Answer: The basic idea behind creating Thought Lantern was to have a common platform for all the writers so that they felt safe to share their ideas, and not only that, I also wanted to highlight our Indian culture to the fullest because of its richness, along with diversity at every single step. I can say that Thought Lantern will become a game-changer because of its uniqueness and identity in creating something out of the box.
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How would you describe the central theme or philosophy behind Thought Lantern? What makes it stand out from other cultural magazines?
Answer: The central theme is connected to our thoughts being the guiding light when darkness hits our phase of life. And what makes it different is the visuals, the way every article, poem, and short story is written. We also stand out because children and the elderly can also read the magazine, along with middle-aged groups; we have a different perspective on a festival altogether, which creates a lasting impact on the reader’s mind.
3. As an author yourself, how has your personal writing journey influenced the way you curate and design the content of the magazine?
Answer: My personal journey is also a reason why I curated Thought Lantern. When I used to do internships and work for different platforms, I always felt that there was some spark missing, and I wanted the voices of the writers not to be controlled here; they can sense freedom and voice out their opinions freely in the articles and reflective pieces.
I felt stuck and had a fear of getting judged, but deep down, I knew I would create a platform that not only supports the writers but sparks their imagination too.
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Could you share some of the challenges you faced while bringing Thoughts Lantern to life, and how you overcame them?
Answer: I can say that challenges are a part of life. When I discussed this with my parents, they were quite startled as to how the entire process will go I will be able to do it or not, and some friends even demotivated me, but now as we our expanding and connecting with different writers and readers who are actually interested in buying the magazine and giving it a shape, then people have started believing in the brand itself. To overcome these life-based challenges, a lot of research was required. I myself went and introduced some of the unique and wonderful ideas to the team, who finally understood what I wanted as a Founder and face of Thought Lantern.
5. The magazine seems to bring together art, culture, and intellect beautifully. How do you decide on the themes or contributors for each edition?
Answer: This is all because of my observation and research skills, so that every month we come up with something related to culture, and we also put a message forward that the submissions are open, writers come and contribute to the magazine, but to create this masterpiece every month huge amount of work is required, and the team’s efforts say it all.
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You’ve made a mark both as an author and a curator. How do you balance your creative pursuits between writing and magazine curation?
Answer: It is not difficult, I find time for balancing out both at the same time because I love what I am doing, and I am quite happy with whatever is happening, and yes, I am also getting time to launch my books and do collaborations. I would finally say that things are falling into place. We also had our first offline event in collaboration with Cambridge Montessori School, Kharghar, which was successful, and we got a good response as well.
7. Finally, what can readers look forward to in the future editions of Thought Lantern? Are there any new concepts or features you’re planning to introduce?
Answer: Yes, the readers can expect more from us because I am planning to introduce new themes, which will be eye-catching and attention-grabbing at the same time. We will also be changing the format in the near future so that the readers get engaged with the magazine on an equal footing.
