Silva Mehta

I first met Silva Mehta in 1969. I was attending a Summer Course with BKS Iyengar.

Upon first meeting Silva, she could be a little intimidating as she tended to look through you, as though she was reading your soul, which is probably the truth.

She was an intelligent and somewhat eccentric person, one of the many reasons for my liking her. I remember on one occasion, a leisure outings to a cinema with Mr Iyengar, she could not find her sandals (she only ever wore sandals even in the bitterest of Winters) so she just went barefoot.

I joined the teacher training programme that she ran for the Inner London Education Authority and became friends as upon knowing her she was delightfully humorous, generous and kind. Her cooking was something to be experienced; the finest Indian cuisine that I have ever tasted. Sadly, she died too young and she is still missed.