RG. No…, not Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Godara is spiritual.

Spirituality is a deep and vast approach with various interpretations. The common theme is connecting with a higher being that is bigger than ourselves. The focus is to make a positive impact and find a deeper meaning in life. It is a catholic human experience that touches and shapes us. Many find a mosque or temple. synagogue, church, yoga, or a small group to connect and enhance their spiritual life. Others pray, meditate, recite, serve or connect with nature and art.

Rahul is self-aware of his spiritual growth, strengths, and weaknesses. The Hindu faith allows him to get in touch with his feelings, emotions, and the spiritual world. Rahul was a school captain and a gap student at Harrow. We connect and talk about spirituality, meditation, spiritual healing, and spiritual meditation, and find many common themes between Hinduism and Christianity.

Rahul, I love talking about spirituality, faith, travel, food, and family. Let’s start by telling my audience a little about you?

One of the highlights of my school life was meeting Tarsem Singh Dhandwar, an alumnus, a leading figure in Hollywood in the world of Visual Art.  He was perhaps the first person I really looked up to for his artistic and brilliant mind, coupled with an exuberant love for the world, and its colors.

I had always fancied myself as a man living in New York, with a trench coat, and a smoke on my lips! As a result, I fulfilled that when I went to study acting at the New York Film Academy. After that, I lived in NYC for 2 years, acted on Broadway, worked in a boutique hotel and did other things. My long and steady search for the divine and spirituality, led to a meeting with my Guru Amma, in New York. In conclusion, I returned to India in 2012 and spent 7 months with her.  As a result, it became a fundamental turning point in my life.

I learned a lot about the values of true spirituality, the concept of a Satguru (A fully realized being), and the principles of Sadhana (spiritual practise), as a means of emancipation from the cycle of suffering that we undergo as human beings.

Currently, I spend my time between Kasar Devi, a very spiritually charged Himalayan Village in the Kumaon Himalayas, and in Punjab, North India with my parents. I am running a travel company focused on Spiritual Travel and Immersion, and a culture center in Kasar Devi. By the way Jerry, Bob Dylan visited Kasar in his heyday! So did Cat Stevens, and Swami Vivekananda had some of his highest realizations here.

I have a very beautiful and amazing woman in my life, from the Himalayan mountains, whose identity we shall keep mysterious and hidden~~ ;).

What motivated you to start the Resplendent Soul? Walk me through the whole process and what is it all about?

While spending time at Ammas ashram, and traveling around Dharamshala (Home to the Dalai Lama), I realized that a lot of people were looking for the depths of Indian thought, but could scratch only the surface of it. I felt like I could facilitate their outer and inner journeys within India, and then the idea of Resplendent Soul popped up. Resplendence is my favorite word in English.  It means ‘Dazzling Measureless Splendour”.

The tours are 4, 7, and 18 days long.  We take people through some of the regular well-known Indian spiritual hubs like Rishikesh, Vrindavan and then the more abstract places like Babaji’s ashram, or my village of Kasar Devi.

On the tours, people experience the deep ocean of Hindu life and thought, while we also showcase other religions. They are able to experience the devotion of the Hindu people, in terms of the rituals like fire ceremonies, pujas, devotional worship via songs and music, etc. They are able to appreciate both the outer aspect of the use of colors, life, people, and the deeper metaphysical meaning behind them. For example, many people are not aware, but the fire ceremony of India is very beneficial for psychological ailments and gives one a profound love for life. Cool aye?!!

The tours also include social aspects like service and social entrepreneurship, so as to enable one to see God in all of creation, and not limit it to prayer and worship.

Currently, I do 2-3 big tours annually for Germans, Kiwis, and sometimes a mixed group, apart from the small ones.

Help me understand what you mean by let’s get deeper into the heart of the universe?

The Heart of the Universe! Hmm… I don’t know, how to put this, cause even I am perhaps at the foot of the universe.  As I grow older, I realize that we are unable to fully experience life’s deepest joy, strength, and confidence because we live on the periphery.  We are too much in the mind of the mind, and not in the Heart of the Mind.  To really understand the depths, one has to go very deep, dive deep within, to the very source from where the mysteries of the universe unfold.

Like Anandamayee ma, the great Bengali saint said “The world was born out of joy that is why you find joy in the fleeting things of the world, otherwise life would be an ordeal, but you must attain to that great joy, which brought forth the world!

How does one understand more of the guiding principles of life, of truth and Godliness via tours, retreats, working with communities, creativity, blogging, photography, friendship, and humanity?

I feel deeply that most of our education has been based to help us become survivors. We learn all the tools like mathematics, biology, English, etc., to simply earn a livelihood and make a name for ourselves. But we have not cultured the heart truly. We have many negative emotions like hatred, jealousy, lust, the works, but not enough self-knowledge and antidotes to transform them. I feel we can re-educate ourselves slowly and steadily. Just like 4 columns believes in a holistic attitude towards life, we can relearn the basic fundamentals of living a happy and contented existence, via the mediums of creativity, self-knowledge, scriptures, sharing in community growth, social service, family, hearing great stories and positive information that is already existing in the world. I like to use knowledge resources quite a bit, to understand the various spectrums of life and living, and I feel any and every human being can do so, by reading and understanding more effectively.

Explain who Guru Amma is and what is the message of the divine?

Amma and Haidakhan babaji are my two gurus. A guru literally means “Dispeller of Darkness”.  They are both Satgurus, meaningfully enlightened beings who have only taken birth to help all mankind, just like Christ.

Does your spirituality include a God, a holy book, and what is the supreme self?

To me, spirituality is both form & formless. So as a practicing Hindu on the journey towards God-realization, I worship all the forms of divinity present in the Sanatana Dharma (The original name of Hinduism) and all other faiths.

I especially enjoy loving Lord Shiva, Lord Ram, Krishna, Devi, and Hanuman!

I have a very big reverence for the ancient and present masters of India like Amma, Babaji, Neem Karoli Baba, Papaji, Padmasambhava, Nisargadatta Maharaj, and also many from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

I do read different spiritual texts as is the way in India, and not a single Holy Book. My favorite scriptures are mostly words of Masters who are living or have left the body.

The Supreme Self just is. As it is! Before, and beyond a name. Perhaps God is another word we use for it. Just like the Yogis use Pure Consciousness.

Sat-Chit-Ananda!  Truth –Consciousness- Bliss.

Let’s talk about tours. What is your goal here? Is it to showcase India? Is it to connect the traveler to their own spirituality or to connect with Indian spirituality?

The goal of the tours is to show the wealth of India’s spiritual light, so the seeker can benefit from those and use them in their own life. The Sanatana Dharma is very scientific, vast, and alluring and can provide many tools to crossover from suffering to endless union with self!

India has an endless ocean of knowledge, devotion, and beauty. Perhaps that’s the reason this country has been so tolerant and loving towards all, even those who plundered it. It is Mother India!

By showcasing the many modalities of spirituality present, we wish to inspire the seeker, who has come on a journey, to connect to their own hidden potential.  Some of them get inspired to take on practices and insights from the Indian traditions, and some just enjoy it, get a nice feeling, and do what they were already doing.  It’s a bit like “Eat, Pray, Love”!!!

Rahul, India is not a safe country for women. How do you ensure the safety of women on your tours? Give me practical aspects of your security procedures?

Yes, India is facing a major problem with women’s security, and we wish to do our best to be a part of the change in consciousness towards the removal of this problem. Usually, our women travelers do not face any issue, as we travel in groups, and they are mostly in very safe areas, with us.  If we are helping a single woman traveler navigate her way towards India, we try to connect her to the best people and services, wherein her risk is minimized. Until now, fortunately, there have been no negative incidents in the last 5-6 years since our inception.

Why does the world need art, music, spirituality, and getting in touch with these things?

The world needs these, like music, for example, is one of the easiest ways to connect to oneself, and thereby to one’s godliness. As a result, spiritually charged devotional music from any tradition helps us to feel rejuvenated in spirit, to take care of our negative emotions, and help cross over the difficult times. Nanak, the great Saint, and founder of Sikhism used to often say that just by listening to the Lord’s name, one can become perfectly happy and perfect!

I think art can really help in catharsis and helping one unload both the beauty and the darkness within. Ditto for spirituality.  The greater we are attuned with the cosmic truth, the happier, more contented, and dynamic we become!

Talk to me about food? I am sure spirituality means taking care of your own body?

Jerry, I have learned slowly how important food is. Gurumayi, says that we mostly only need about 60-70% of the food that we eat. The rest is just our hunger for God, for truth.

I feel if we eat too much, or not the right combinations we become tamasic, lazy, in inertia, and slowly degrade ourselves and our minds.

While eating light vegetarian meals, we remain uplifted, sparkly, and can have a stronger cognitive ability, provided we combine that with the right thinking and feelings!  I am experimenting more with foods these days and enjoying the effects.  For example, I am more of a pitta type person, a fiery type, so lessening caffeine has been beneficial, so has decreasing spicy foods. I have also incorporated a self-massage 2-3 times a week, called Abhyanga, from the ancient Ayurvedic style, which also helps alleviate the daily pent up tensions, and helps remove toxins from the body as well! The results have been amazing!

I believe in loving people unconditionally, getting in touch with my own brokenness, so light can come in, forgiveness, gratitude, peace, patience, kindness, and gentleness. Do we have anything in common?

We have a lot in common Jerry. I do understand and appreciate the Christian principle of “the brokenness” within. We all come enmeshed in our karmas from previous lives and to that, we add on the ignorance of this life. By accepting our brokenness, our not knowing, we open the door for God’s light to come in. To recharge us, to show us our own inner greatness, and to live the Biblical maxim, that we are made in his image. By surrendering the individual will to the Supreme will, we are able to merge ourselves back in him and gain greater and greater joy and love, until only That remains.

Yes, I am trying to work towards unconditional love, and go beyond my own judgments, resentments, past, present, future, and perceptions. It’s a long journey, isn’t it? But it’s become more and more exciting, ever since the name of the Lord has been planted more and more in the heart within!

Many warm greetings from the Kumaon Himalayas and I pray that all is well in Canada and your family, and orbit!

Om Namah Shivaya. (Salutations to the Supreme)

Photo Credits: Ian Espinosa  Mohamed Nohassi  R D  134-3488_IMG by Enayut Rasul CC BY-SA 2.0, Juskteez Vu Jon Flobrant

The post Spirituality, Meditation and Spiritual Growth appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

I love Sundeep and Bedabrata, the antithetical, distinctive duo behind DelhiFunDos.

I love Indian food. I have backpacked in India numerous times. In Kashmir, camping by the Jhelum river, eating vegetable biryani with dum aloo, surrounded by the Himalayas. Himachal Pradesh with its variety of tomato and chutney sandwiches and delicious apple juice. Punjab, with its Dhaba culture, eating naan with spinach, and the variety of dals and washing it down with a cold lassi. My senses were awakened by eating chole bhature, kachori, and chaat in Lucknow. A simple breakfast in Gujarat is made by dipping puri in mango pulp. The Jain vegetarian thali with chapati in Madhya Pradesh was exotic but the spices gave me different layers of flavors that kept on exploding in my mouth. In Delhi, having a naan with the most delicious masala omelet I have ever eaten. Finally the magnum opus, the piece de resistance Bombay. The vada pav washed down with fresh coconut juice on Chowpatty Beach changed my definition of bread and potato.

The variety of Indian food is amazing. Each state has its own food, language, and traditional clothes, and the colors mesmerized me. The next time you go to an Indian restaurant, choose a greasy spoon. Eat with your hand, order a sweet lime drink, and get one step closer to heaven.

I admire Bedabrata and Sundeep’s approach to food. There is no snobbishness. They are real, down to earth, authentic and sui generis. I have been following their IG profile for a long time and love theirs out of the box approach to food. DelhiFunDos is India’s top food blog. They have more than 65,000 followers on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook who admire their emblematic take on food. I am honored, humbled, and called even higher as they take time from their super busy schedule to answer questions about Indian food.

Sundeep and Bedabrata, thanks for joining me today. Please tell my audience a little about you? 

We are a traveler duo discovering life through travel, food, art, craft, and culture. One of us is a graphic designer and the other an IP lawyer and this is our Dr. Jekyll – Mr. Hyde’s story. When we are not running with design or legal briefs, we travel in and around Delhi and India and the world and share our fun experience on our platform DelhiFunDos. Over time, we have become one of India’s top food, travel and lifestyle website, Instagram, and other social media channels covering luxury to offbeat experiences. 

Talk to me about what is DelhiFunDos? 

In a single sentence, DelhiFunDos is a guide to a fun way of life. 

We took fun very seriously. Since we wanted to talk about fun things to do in life, we named our platform Delhi-Fun-Dos. Eventually, the name became our guiding principle. Therefore, we blog about only those activities that are fun. If an activity does not seem fun to us, we refrain.

Walk me through how did the idea come about? 

There is so much that happens in Delhi NCR in terms of food, culture, theatre, music, art, handicrafts, history, travel. The list is endless. We would soak ourselves in many of these activities in whatever breaks we could manage from our professional lives. Soon, we started getting requests for referrals from family, friends, and colleagues. It was time to spread the good word. To this end, we started a website recording our experiences and also listing events for the benefit of our followers. Gradually we expanded to other social media platforms where we circulate our experience as well as disseminate information about fun activities that any professional or, in fact, anyone may pursue.

Talk to me as to who is the audience of DelhiFunDos?

Our platforms cater to anybody who is looking to enjoy life no matter where in life they are positioned. Analytics show that our viewership starts from pre-teens to people in their 70s. Happy to say, we have reached out to followers from small towns to top cities of the USA and Europe. Many of our followers have said we inspire them. Yes, that’s the most humbling testimonial we have got.

What is your goal and what do you want to achieve with the DelhiFunDos?

In all humility, we are very satisfied in terms of our work in the mindboggling world of social media. It has been our sincere endeavor to take our followers along with us during our fun journey as bloggers and we believe we have succeeded. We look forward to more and more “Fun-Dos” in the future as well.

In the West, Indian food is synonymous with Butter Chicken. What is Indian Food? 

This is a deep question. Blogging has taken us places but every time we see a very different India where language, food, art, and culture change every few kilometers.  Hence it is difficult to have one size fit all definition of Indian food.  Vegetarian to non-vegetarian; proteins to fibers to carbs; bland to mouth-burning spicy – the sheer variety of Indian food is mind-boggling.  To hazard a generalization, we can say Indian food is all about the balance of color, flavor, taste, and texture.  Copious use of spices, fresh produce, and cereals in Indian food lead to a riot on the taste buds.

Let’s talk about Delhi. The food scene, the restaurants and why should we visit it?

It is said that Delhi is the food capital of India. New bars, restaurants, or cafes keep opening every other day.  In fact, many food hubs have been established in Delhi National Capital Region (“NCR”) over time. One would find agglomeration of pubs and clubs in Hauz Khas; designer restaurants in Connaught Place; fancy Indian or Indianised food restaurants in Rajouri Garden; international restaurant chains in Cyber Hub and Golf Course Road in Gurgaon. In addition to age-old Chinese restaurants, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Lebanese, Burmese, and other cuisines have already established a successful presence in Delhi NCR. It is, therefore, a still young food scene, evolving every day yet eclectic so as to hold everyone’s interest. From street food to fine dining there are options galore to suit the diner’s budget and mood. 

Among all the eating options, we would recommend Karims for Mughlai food, Shyam Sweets for vegetarian delicacies and sweets such as Nagori Halwa, and Moti Mahal that claims to be the inventor of Butter Chicken. These establishments are steeped in Delhi’s food history and we have not found a parallel elsewhere.

Talk to me about restaurants in Delhi away from the tourist haunts?

Delhi has many hidden dining secrets and we have a standalone blog about that. Off the cuff, we would recommend the canteens at the State Houses, especially Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra, and Banga Bhawan. The food here is reflective of the staple in each state. Also, Dilli Haat is popular as a crafts market. But the state-wise food stalls here give an alfresco dining experience where you can try delicacies from each state. You can taste multiple items and enjoy the sheer regional variety of Indian food. 

What do Delhiites have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? 

Delhiites are happy eaters. Traditionally, the meals are a balance of fiber, carbohydrate, and protein. Ghee or clarified butter is the preferred cooking medium.

A time-honored Delhi breakfast has to be the paratha. This is ghee or white oil-coated flatbread that can be made plain or with a stuffing of chopped or mashed vegetables like potato, cauliflower, radish, and so on. It is had with curd or pickle. 

The usual Delhi lunch would comprise a platitude of items. These would include bread such as roti, dal or lentil soup, vegetable dishes, curd, and salad. Some people would also consume rice.

Dinner would be similar to lunch. Vegetarians may have a paneer or cottage cheese dish while non-vegetarians may have chicken as a side. Barfi or gulab jamun is common as dessert. Kheer or rice pudding is a delicacy served on special occasions.

How is Delhi food different from the rest of the subcontinent and other influences? 

Does this question behoove an explanation as to what is Delhi food?  Delhi has been under the rule of many dynasties. It was the capital of the Mughal dynasty during later years and in 1911 it became the British capital of India. Along with the administration, each of these rulers brought their own culture and cuisine to Delhi. Further, given the political significance, people from all over the country came and settled in Delhi.  Post-independence, Delhi became a major Punjabi settlement. All the communities brought their unique food habits as well. Some such food practices got dissolved in the cultural melting pot of Delhi. What has emerged is a syncretic food story that is about bright colors and strong flavors. Be it the snack Gol Gappe or the breakfast dish Chole Bhature; the heat from fresh green chillis and chili powder, tart from tamarind, and the sharp flavor of powdered cumin clear the sinuses while the palette craves for more. To us, this is typically Delhi food – rich, colorful, flavourful and wholesome. 

Let’s talk about Roti. I always tell people roti means bread…but then there is chapati, fulka, naan, romali roti, poori please explain? 

You are correct to the extent that roti is flatbread. In its commonest form, roti is made with wheat flour and baked on a tawa or griddle. Roti can also be made of flour from other grains such as corn, chickpea, millet or a combination thereof. Chapati and fulka are other versions of roti. A fulka is roasted on a direct flame to the point that it gets inflated and it is ideally had fresh from the oven. 

A romali roti is a very thin variety of flatbread that is baked on a concave surface. The final look and texture are like a piece of textile and hence it gets the name romali, romal being a handkerchief.

Naan is another variety of bread that is traditionally baked inside a clay oven. It is made of white flour, extremely soft and smooth in texture and may be flavored with coriander leaves and carom seeds.

Poori is a version of bread that is deep-fried to the point that it is well cooked yet does not become crispy.

Water, beer, wine, and lassi with Indian food…do you recommend any other drink?

We would recommend Nimbu Paani or fresh lime; kokum juice; and buttermilk since this helps to swallow the food while aiding digestion. Indian milk tea or chai is also popular with parathas or after any meal.

I am impressed that you have more than 60k followers on IG. You are doing something right. What is different and unique about your approach as food bloggers? 

As DelhiFunDos, we wear many hats and our platforms are an extension of our lives. We have started some days by brunching at a 5-star hotel and ended the same day by watching rooftop theatre by a nondescript group behind Connaught Place – free entry, followed by bread-omelet from a kiosk in the adjacent lane. In fact, we have a blog-post about him. In other words, we cover the whole gamut from luxury to modest projects where the owners have no fund for promotion. If an activity is fun, DelhiFunDos is a game and that’s our USP. That keeps the fun times rolling and probably followers return to our channel.

I have some rapid-fire questions for you.

Fav dish – Chhole Bhature 

Fav book – Sidhhartha by Herman Hesse

Fav drink – Milk tea or Chai

Fav movie – Chashme Buddoor (the original film in 1981).

Fav actor – Rishi Kapoor

This is your last day on earth. What would be your last meal consist of? 

A rather scary question but we don’t have to think twice. It has to be home food and precisely, our favorite – Rajma Chawal. Rajma is kidney beans and its curry is had in combination with Chawal (rice).

You are chosen to go to Mars and only take 5 snacks what would it be? 

We would carry comfort food that would remind us of home. Homemade dry snacks are almost always part of our snack bag when we travel. Our favorite snacks would be – nimki, namak pare, matthi, mithi matthi and more mithi matthi! 

Nimki, namak pare and matthi are savories and mithi matthi is sugar dipped version of these snacks. All these items have a very long shelf life. The homemade version of these snacks is crispy, tasty, yet wholesome and never makes us fall sick. 

The post The Delhi Duo Behind India’s Top Lifestyle & Food Blog appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

I have traveled to more than 30 countries. Indian food in England is the Balti dishes from Bangladesh. In Lisbon, it is Goan food. In Paris, it is food from South India and mainly from Pondicherry. I live in Toronto, and Indian restaurants are mostly buffet style from Punjab. As a result, I want to talk to Divyanshi to get a better understanding of Indian food.

Divyanshi is a Delhi-based food blogger who has an amazing Instagram profile. She believes that good food brings people together at My Delicious Plate.  She loves exploring homemade food and different food recipes from all parts of India rather than Indian restaurants. Her mantra is ‘Eat, Drink and Live Free because you get this life once and there is no telling what might happen tomorrow’.

Divyanshi welcome to my blog. Please tell me a little about you? What does your name mean?

Hello Jerry, first of all, I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity. I have completed my graduation. I love to write. As a result, I decided to blog and have been doing it for a year.

My name ‘Divyanshi’ is made of two Hindi words. ‘Divy’ which means divine or spiritual and ‘Ansh’ means a part of. However, when combined, Divyanshi means ‘Part of a Divine thing’.

I love your IG profile. You showcase a variety of foods. Is it from all over India or only from the North?

Thank you! The variety of Indian food is a result of our diverse Indian culture. Because of this cultural mix, we have been lucky to enjoy the cuisines of the South in North India and vice versa. The food from all regions is popular all over India!  I have been eating many of this regional food since childhood and now I try to cook them too.

My IG profile displays food from all parts of India. It is easily available everywhere especially in New Delhi, which is the capital of India. New Delhi is a cultural mosaic of people from all over India who also bring their food with them.

Roti means bread. Please talk to me a little bit about the different kinds of Chapati, Poori, Naan, and Rumali roti?

In India, typically in northern parts, there are two segments of a meal. One curry and one bread and then accompaniments to this can be added. Roti, Poori, Naan, Fulka are all types of bread that we enjoy with a great variety of curries. They differ in their style of preparation and grain of which it is made.

For example, Roti is made by simply making a dough of wheat flour, flattening it, and baking it on a Tawa (a large flat pan). Poori on the other hand is a fried version of roti which is smaller in size. Naan is made from Maida (Refined flour) and is leavened with yeast. We also stuff roti and call it parantha. There is literally a huge variety of bread in India that one can enjoy and it all comes from our varied culture!

Talk to me about your favorite snacks?

I love having snacks. I think snacks are my favorite part of the day. Being an Indian foodie, I would say ‘Samosa’ which has become popular all around the globe now.  Initially, there was only potato stuffing in samosa but now we can get noodle samosa, cheese samosa, pasta samosa, and many more like these.

One more favorite snack of people living in Delhi is ‘Momos’. That is not Indian but we love it like it is ours. We make Indian versions of every snack around the world and that is something I love about India.

You have a decent following on IG. Does that put pressure on you?

No. I never felt the pressure. This is something I really enjoy doing. I feel grateful that people are liking my content on ‘My Delicious Plate’ and it motivates me to work harder. Also, I have my best friend, Vivek who helps me with the content and suggestions. I wish the number keeps growing so that I can share my love for food with more people.

What does women empowerment mean to you?

Women empowerment for me is about letting females choose what they want to do without any restriction. For years women around the world have been restricted to numerous things. Women have struggled and made their way to the top. However,  the situation has improved to only some extent, mostly in developed countries.

We need to create more opportunities for women and more space for them to choose their own path. Discrimination between genders should be eliminated and only we can do it by spreading awareness and telling women their worth and telling men to treat women equally.

I want to know your favorite dishes and why do you like them?

I have a long list of favorite dishes. I will choose three of my favorites. The first one is Rajma Chawal. Rajma is red kidney bean curry and chawal is rice. The kind of spices used in it makes it so tasty and special. Indian food is all about different spices and their style of blending.

Another dish is Paneer Butter Masala which is a cottage cheese served in a spicy gravy having lots of butter. The third one is Masala Dosa. I can really have it anytime with a good Sambar and Coconut Chutney. For a foodie like me, it was difficult choosing just three!

Is there a huge difference between vegan and vegetarian food in India? I mean if you cook with ghee it is vegetarian, if sunflower oil it becomes vegan?

The concept of veganism in India is not as popular as it is coming up in some parts of the world. There are very few people talking about it. The same reflects in our food habits. For example, cooking in ghee is still considered better and healthier than in oil. We have a huge population of vegetarians but being vegan is something we haven’t acknowledged yet.

What are your future goals? Where does Divyanshi want to be 5 years from now?

I started ‘My Delicious Plate’ as a page to show people my love for food, what I eat, and my kind of food. One thing I was sure of since the beginning, I didn’t want to restrict it to the Indian audience. I wanted to show people from all around the world the richness of food we enjoy in India, hence the English name.

I feel extremely happy when people from other continents message me saying they love Indian food and would like to try the recipes I share. In the future also I would be working on the same. Even in India, many people are unaware of foods from other regions, my intention is to take out food from all over India, especially the traditional food and display the diversity of Indian food and culture to the people of our country as well as globally.

You are chosen to represent Indian food on a trip to Mars and can take only 5 food items. What would they be?

If I have to represent India with five dishes then I will choose my favorites from all parts of the country. From the North, I will choose Paneer Tikka which is cheese marinated in lots of spices. Masala Dosa will be chosen from South India. From the west, I will take Dhokla which is a Gujrati Cuisine.

North-East India enjoys more Non-vegetarian cuisines which I don’t have but I will choose Fish curry of Bengal for those who eat fish. Fifth and the last one will be from Central India. and that is Khasta Kachori which is made with wheat dough stuffed with a spicy lentil mixture and then fried till it becomes crispy.

The post The Diversity of Indian Food appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Ronita Goswami is a writer by profession and by passion. She considers herself to be an introvert, a bookworm, a fitness enthusiast, a perfectionist who likes to have all her ducks in a row. Discipline is important to her. “Recently, more specifically over the last two years, I have been donning the hat of a traveler. I’m picking up a lot of traits from my journeys. Travel has converted me into a minimalist and has made me more aware of different cultures. It has had a huge impact on my personality, my lifestyle, and my creative interests.”

About 3 years ago, she discovered the joy of football (soccer) and has been an Arsenal fan ever since.

Ronita you like soccer (football), traveling, and food. We will get along well. You speak or shout at length in a wild impassioned way and are unpredictable as per erratic rantings. Haha, I love the name of your blog. Talk to me a little about it.

Erratic Rantings came into being in 2018. Before that, I had another blog in my college days where I used to write book reviews. But I hadn’t taken it too seriously back then. And then in 2018, my then fiancé (now husband), Tathagata, talked me into having a proper blog set up. I remember that I had asked him, “What am I going to write about?” He said, “Anything you want.” In fact, he chose the name Erratic Rantings since I didn’t give much thought into the name. That’s how it all began. 

We got married the same year and I wrote the first post on our marriage. In fact, I turned my marriage into a seven-part blog series. It felt good to pen the entire event down. I realized that this blog was like a memory bank where I could relive my experiences any time I wanted. And then I couldn’t stop. There were too many things happening around me that I knew I would want to look back at later in my life. In doing this, I started gathering up a handful of followers who have personally told me that they draw inspiration from my blog and are continuously looking forward to the next post. 

Ronita, walk me through the city you live in, the food, the culture, and some good restaurants?

I’m from, what is popularly known as, the City of Joy – Kolkata. I’ve lived here all my life and somehow have never felt the need to live anywhere else.

Kolkata is located in the eastern part of India. It is a city I hold close to my heart. It’s home and more. The city is famous for its literary inclination, its heart-warming food, and progressive culture. Kolkata’s charm lies in its bylanes, serpentine tram lines, intense ‘adda’ sessions (conversations) over searing hot tea poured into earthen cups, sweets, football, intellectual debates and protests, theatres, libraries, music, poetry, old buildings with a colonial past, sprawling chaos in roadside markets, love for sweets and deep-fried snacks and more.

Kolkata is also a confluence of a variety of cultures. That’s because the city is one of the major business hubs of the country and the cost of living isn’t too high compared to other cities. It’s laidback yet modern. One of the characteristics that are unique to my city is its open-mindedness. It encourages uninhibited and constructive debates instead of silent acceptance. I’m proud to be a product of the liberal landscape of my city.

Being a convergence of multiple cultures, Kolkata is a witness to numerous festivals. But Durga puja outstrips all of them. It’s a grand autumnal festival celebrating the victory of Goddess Durga over evil. It continues for five days officially, but we wait for it all year. In fact, the life of a Bengali revolves around Durga puja. Beautifully decorated marquees are put up to house the idols. The entire city transforms into an exhibition of art and creativity. Residents of the city from all over the world return to their homes and join in on the festivities. In essence, Durga puja is a celebration of togetherness. The end of the festival brings out the worst case of blues among us, Bengalis. That’s when we start the countdown for the next Durga puja.

One of my favorite restaurants in Kolkata is Oudh 1590. Not just for the food but for the décor as well. Oudh 1590 is a recreation of the Nawabi era to provide its customers with a period of the dining experience. Once you step inside the restaurant, you would truly feel like you have been transported to history in a time machine.

Tell me about your favorite place that you visited and why you like it so much?

It has to be Bali. Bali stole my heart from the moment I set foot on the island. 

On the first morning of our stay, we headed to the Git Git waterfall. It was deserted when we reached. The water was gushing down with ferocity, Nature has grown abundantly around it, there were tiny, naturally-formed cave-like structures beside the waterfall and the water was crystal clear. I sat down on one of the large rocks closest to the waterfall and felt the water-laden breeze washing over me. It had started to drizzle. The entire place looked magical. That’s where my mood changed dramatically from head to heart. I felt more awake there than I had all my life.

Bali’s beaches are no doubt beautiful, its people are extremely friendly and the coffee is mind-blowing. Bali taught me humbleness through their uninhibited devotion to their Gods and their gratitude towards what they have been blessed with. I believe if there is any place on Earth where God lives, it’s in Bali.

I see you like Arsenal. Why? You talk that you have a lot in common with them. I want to know the commonality.

Like I said, I was introduced to the world of football and its fanaticism in 2017 by my then fiancé (now husband), Tathagata. He is an ardent Arsenal fan. I knew it the day I met him by the tattoo of the Arsenal crest on his left arm. It started with watching videos of old matches on the phone and then slowly I began to understand the power of ‘The Beautiful Game’. He taught me the different aspects of a football match, the significance of every move or sign in the field, and the true meaning of the sport.

As for the commonality, you have to read my blog post to find out.

What is your ideal romantic date?  How has married life changed your life? Any surprises?

My ideal romantic date would be at the beach at sunset with ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon playing in the background. Both Tathagata and I love the beach. We’ve witnessed countless sunsets at the beach together and it still gives me goosebumps thinking about it. The quiet roaring of the waves is relaxing and that’s when I find myself most calm and at the same time, most lively. I cannot thank my stars enough when I walk along the beach with Tathagata by my side. I feel on top of the world every single time that happens.

We’ve been married for a little over two years now and I have felt a lot of positive changes in myself through this time. A friend told me recently that marriage has brought me out of my shell. It’s true. I am exploring myself a lot more. Like I told you before, I’m donning more than one hat to discover new aspects that I can add to my identity. I’m experimenting more, I’m trying to stretch my boundaries and learning to step out of my comfort zone. I feel more confident and optimistic about life.

I married into a large family. We live with my parents, grandparents and uncle, and my aunt-in-law. Coming from a nuclear family, this was the biggest change in my life. Thankfully, we get along really well. More importantly, living with a large family has taught me some core virtues like patience, resilience, and being less judgmental. Luckily I married into a family that appreciates and practices creativity and art. 

I know you like the beach. What is it about the beach that you like?

It is the sound of the waves that pulls me to the beach. The sea makes me happy. It has a soothing and reassuring effect on my mind. It’s as if the waves tell me that no matter what happens, everything will be alright. I feel like I can draw strength from the ocean. Every time I’m at the beach I make it a point to take off my shoes and feel the sand between my toes. It helps me connect to the sea and relax my mind. It’s always an invigorating experience to sit down at the beach at sunset and just listen to the incessant roaring of the waves. Tathagata tells me, “If you respect the sea, the sea will respect you too.”

You are the modern-day Indian woman. How is that woman different from Woman in the ’80s and the ’60s?

I feel that the status of Indian women has radically changed in the modern-day since the ’80s or ’60s. There have been massive structural and cultural changes that provide equal opportunity to women in education and employment. I’ll give you an example.

My grandmother-in-law, who is now 85 years old, couldn’t complete her school-level education because she had to walk a certain distance to be able to board the school bus. And that wasn’t acceptable at that time. She regrets it to this day. She takes a keen interest in reading and has a brilliant memory. But she feels that no matter how much she reads, it can never compensate for the education she was deprived of and so immensely desired.

On the other hand, my late maternal grandmother who was a statistician by profession was a financially independent woman. Her sister was a headmistress of a reputed school, an ardent traveler, and an excellent swimmer even with a polio-affected leg. So you see, there were opportunities, but only for the extremely lucky ones.

Fast forward to this day, today’s Indian woman has ample opportunities to choose the education she desires, become financially independent, have a voice, and make well-informed decisions about her life. While a certain amount of social norms still govern a lot of Indian women’s lives, we have come a long way from how it used to be about four or five decades ago. But then again, the lesser privileged are still oppressed to the point where they have forgotten that they can have opinions. I think a large part of the cause is the lack of free basic education. But change is occurring every day. The idea is to manage the challenges and make adjustments according to the situation to be able to build a better tomorrow. We are getting there. At least we are trying. That’s what matters.

What does women empowerment mean to you?

Today, we talk a lot about women’s empowerment. But I think there are multiple aspects to it. I feel that the key to women’s empowerment is abolishing discrimination. This is where our society falls short most of the time. People make a lot of hues and cry over women’s empowerment on the surface, but the mentality of people would take a lot more generations to change. Women today, face a lot of adversities in the name of loss of culture. Even today, women are subject to gruesome violence. There are numerous organizations working towards the improvement of women’s status. There’s progress but the mentality needs to change before we can see any large improvement. This is where access to education is necessary. 

Discrimination against women exists in the different stratum of the society – some are visible, some not so much. And quite a lot of times, this discrimination becomes such a force of habit that people don’t recognize it at all. I think one of the most effective ways to empower our women is by teaching our sons about true feminism so that our women do not have to fight for it. We need to teach our sons from a very young age to view women as equals and engage them in abolishing gender stereotypes. Women empowerment is not the fight for women alone, it’s a fight for our men too. To stand as equals with women. Nothing more. Nothing less.

We will do another interview in 5 years. Where would Ronita be and what are your goals and aspirations for the next 5 years?

Hopefully, I would be able to make some developments with my blog, share more experiences, and inspire more people. I am working towards improving my English writing skills since it isn’t my first language. I hope to make progress with my career, try to push myself out of my comfort zone, and acquire more knowledge and skills along the way. Maybe I would be able to add some more beautiful destinations into my travel experiences, get to learn about different cultures, and create better travel videos than my first attempt. 

In the next five years, I see myself growing into a more mature version of myself. I expect to become calmer, more confident, and more in touch with myself. So let’s wait and find out.

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