Kailash Puri

Kailash Puri, popularly known as Humraaz Maasi (17 April 1925 – 9 June 2017) was an Indian writer, poet, yoga teacher, and agony aunt.

As a young mother, Puri began writing articles on cookery, family planning, and marital relations, publishing them in her weekly Punjabi magazine Subhagvati (1957–1965). She later produced, distributed and edited the Punjabi and English periodical Roopvati (1968–1974). In 1975 she became Marks & Spencer's first advisor on their range of Indian ready meals, and in the same year published her cookery book titled Highlights of Indian Cookery. During her lifetime she would produce ten books on sex, coining new sexual words difficult to translate to Punjabi.

Early life and education Kailash Puri was born on 17 April 1925 to Sohan Singh Puri and his wife Prem, in Rawalpindi, then in undivided India.

Early career

In 1943, at around the age of 16 years, Puri married Gopal Singh Puri, a scientist who gained a Government of India research fellowship in London, UK. Puri accompanied her husband to his various posts in Dehra Dun, Pune and Allahabad, and then to Ibadan and Kumasi in West Africa. For Des Pardes she contributed to its columns. In the same year she published her cookery book titled Highlights of Indian Cookery.

Awards and honours In 1982 Puri received the Bhai Mohan Singh Vaid literary award. In 1999 Ealing's mayor awarded her with a Millennium Woman Award.

Death Puri died at Ealing Hospital on 9 June 2017, 22 years after her husband.

Selected publications Mysteries of Indian Cuisine Explained: Englishman's Guide to Indian Cookery (1975) (Co-authored with Bob Whittington) (Co-authored with Eleanor Nesbitt)