Dr. Shanta Dhar

Dr. Shanta Dhar age 81, passed peacefully on Monday, June 28, 2021 while being in the company of her family.

Shanta was born and raised in Srinagar, Kashmir in India. She was passionate about helping people and making a positive impact in the field of medicine during a time when not many women in India studied beyond high school. She graduated with a degree in MBBS from Gandhi Medical College and went on to get her Master of Surgery (MS) degree from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).  

Shortly after graduating with her medical degree, Shanta was engaged and married to Raj Dhar. As a newly married couple Raj and Shanta moved to New Delhi to start their newly married life together. Raj and Shanta welcomed their first child Rakesh who was born in New Delhi. A few years later Raj got an exciting job opportunity which required the family to move to Bangalore. A few years after moving to Bangalore, Raj and Shanta welcomed their second son Sanjay.  

Both Raj and Shanta worked very hard to provide the best for their two sons. On 22nd May 1983, something very unexpected and drastic happened. Raj suffered a massive heart attack and passed away suddenly. This was a devastating blow to the entire family.  

Shanta has always been very strong and the sudden death of her husband was a huge blow. Shanta was a pillar of strength, hope and perseverance. She single handedly raised both Rakesh and Sanjay, despite all the challenges of life. She succeeded and prevailed brilliantly. Shanta has always been a selfless and benevolent person asking for nothing in return. She is an epitome of the proverbial “Iron Lady” with a heart of gold.  In addition to being a dedicated professional and mom, she also was an excellent cook. She made the best lamb Rogan Josh among other various Kashmiri delicacies.

She spent the last few years of her life staying with her children and grandchildren in the US between Massachusetts and New Jersey. She had a jolly good time with friends during family parties and would always surprise everyone with some of her quirks.  

Special thanks to Neeru and Vini who took care of Shanta just like a real daughter would do and in some cases more than what a daughter may have done. We are all going to miss her dearly and she continues to live in our memories and in our hearts.