Varanda: my vision for a modern Indian restaurant

Varanda is all about the vibe. We want you to feel like you’re sitting in the backyard of our home, while enjoying a hearty meal that will leave your stomach and heart feeling warm. It’s really about the experience in its entirety; we are bringing you the history of Indus Valley culture in its rawest, most authentic form.

The vision for Varanda has never been about “fine-dining,” as that is a decaying concept with the rise of the millennial generation. We offer you an experience where the only expectation of the customer is to thoroughly vibe with our Varanda vibe.

The moment you enter our restaurant, you will be awestruck by the warmth and radiance of what feels like a foreign home. Varanda is a space that has been created to blend the cultures of South Asia into one unique experience; with backyard style seating, simple yet elegant decor and custom-made tableware add to the overall experience. The earthy color scheme facilitates a calm environment while one is able to enjoy the spicy food. With desi music playing in the background to complete the aura, you will be willing to go miles to come and experience this atmosphere yet again, leaving all five of your senses stimulated and utterly satisfied.

[content written for Varanda’s website]

 

Diwali

FYI: Diwali (Bandi Chhor Diwas in Sikhi) is not only a Hindu holiday—it is a multicultural, multi-traditional & multi-faceted celebration encompassing more than one religion/tradition & celebrated differently in each region of South Asia & people of the world. 

Discrimination in Airports

Racial profiling in security systems at airports today exists under the pen-name better known as “random check.” After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the security at airports and many other facilities has been upgraded and tightened to ensure the “safety” of people. But the real question here is: how safe is this truly keeping us?

As people of color, we are still willing to comply to these “random checks,” even though it makes us feel profiled and victimized. We have unique names and different outer appearances that make us a specific target of racial profiling. However, this is not only an issue that exists in the Sikh/Punjabi community—it is universally applicable. Post 9/11, there has been a widespread epidemic of Islamophobia that created misunderstood underlying animosity towards minorities. This has created a sociopolitical issue specifically in the Sikh community today, simple due to the fact that the Sikhs are known for their identifying article of faith: the turban.

As you may recall, in the recent past, Sikh comedian Jasmeet Singh (otherwise known as Jus Reign) was asked by TSA to remove his turban at a San Francisco airport. Singh had no other option but to cooperate and when he asked for a mirror to re-tie his turban, he was told to do so in the nearest restroom. Reflecting on this incident, Singh responded with, “ [a turban] is a sign of royalty, respect, dignity, courage and has a huge significance for my people” and “the issue isn’t JUST with the fact that I was asked to remove the turban (however silly it still is) but with the lack of respect and insensitivity when I asked for a simple request like a mirror to tie it back on again.”

The lack of education here is the biggest issue that the Sikh community faces today. A turban is not simply a piece of cloth that can be removed and put back on in the same manner that a t-shirt is worn. Though many people initially have a reaction of outrage to events such as this, Singh was able to educate his millions of followers due to this act of discrimination. By complying to what TSA asked him to do, Singh showed a level of respect to TSA that was not reciprocated towards him. In reaction to this, Singh posted various times on social media to alert his following of the level of racial profiling that occurred. By acting in this manner, Singh is able to educate the numerous amounts of people who have misconstrued perceptions of what the turban is. His reaction to TSA sparked anger amongst many people, thus resulting in education. This is how Sikh people will begin to be recognized in the world. We must struggle and fight for our identity and religion, just as Jasmeet Singh has peacefully protested this level of discrimination.

In this situation, the issue is not the fact that Singh was asked to remove his turban, it is simply that he was not given the adequate amount of privacy requested to do this, or given the correct resources to re-tie his pagh (turban), such as mirror or private space. If asked politely and given the proper privacy and respect, this would not have been an issue for him to remove and re-tie his pagh. I am sure that he would have been more than willing to cooperate.

On the other hand, as a people, there is no direct solution to this problem, unless we are willing to change our identity. The word “judgement” is synonymous to racial profiling and is inevitable from a philosophical viewpoint. As humankind, it is inevitable for us not to judge people because we are constantly formulating opinions according to our own perception and experiences in life. Whether this is a subconscious or conscious act, we are naturally inclined to judge everything that we come across. So yes, it is wrong that Jasmeet Singh was ill-judged, but with the lack of exposure that people have to minorities (specifically Sikhs), we cannot blame TSA for being extra cautious. However, we as the people, have every right to react to the level of disrespect that occurred during this event.

[this blogpost was written for UnitedSikhs on March 7, 2016]

#ReclaimTheBindi

#ReclaimTheBindi

By: Bani Ghai [4.16.15]

With festival season around the corner and Coachella at our fingertips, there have been conversations arising within the South Indian community that question the intertwined usage of Indian culture— such as the bindi as common festival wear, especially on those unaware of the religious/traditional significance.

“Reclaim the Bindi” is an audacious, modern movement that sheds light upon and calls for a termination to the use of cultural, religious and spiritual clothing, accessories and decorations by people who do not identify with those whom these articles or decor are sacred, significant and carry sentimental value to.

This is an issue of cultural appropriation rather than ignorance. “Cultural appropriation is the adoption of elements of one culture by members of a different cultural group, especially if the adoption is without the consent of the originating culture, and when the appropriating group has historically oppressed members of the originating culture.”

Recently, the Tumblr page has picked up a lot of heat. Women have been posting photos with caption as, “#ReclaimTheBindi” so that this cause would go viral and people would be able to see that Indian culture and heritage isn’t an accessory that can be casually displayed out of ignorance.

On the main line of the Tumblr page, the first thing written is: “An attempt to reclaim our culture from those who have taken it from us” (http://reclaimthebindi.tumblr.com/)

As a young woman who has grown up surrounded and influenced by Indian culture, I am able to understand and empathize with the cause. However, I can’t help but feel as if it is a bit extreme to say we need to “reclaim” our culture—almost making the movement appear as a threat on our grasp of our own cultural identity. Yes, the bindi is a huge identifying factor to the South Asian community and it stings when ignorance overshadows education on our culture. But, how can we expect others to know better if we are ridiculing misbehavior rather than re-educating and constructively fixing that behavior?

Sometimes I think: we should feel proud that celebrities and those around us want to be Desi like us— wear bindis, bangles and salwars. I have always been told to never feel mad that someone is copying me, rather feel honored that they would like to empathize on a certain wavelength of identity. Inspirations from other cultures are automatically assumed in our daily lives today. We are living in a world where the line between cultural appropriation and appreciation dance on a fine line of differences. But putting on a bindi certainly doesn’t grant someone an in on the desi identity. The discomfort with cultural appropriation comes from the fact that the journey to that specific identity is disregarded and only the end result is highlighted; thus making it a commodified rather than shared experience.

Growing up as a dar skinned girl with a turbaned Sikh father, I was always judged by my peers because of where I came from and what I looked like; I never let that phase me though. I embraced opportunities such as dressing up as an “Indian Princess” for Halloween because I thought it would help me show my peers who I am so that perhaps my life wouldn’t seem so foreign. When my friends asked to wear my lehangas and be an Indian Princess too, I would proudly give them my sparkling outfit and dress them up. Understanding different culture is a journey; it doesn’t happen overnight.

People are naturally amused by what they know little of. If I put myself in someone else’s shoes, I would be intrigued by my culture as well. No lie, it’s the vibrancy that makes others want to be associated with it. We, intersectional humans, are something for the South Asian community to be proud of and embrace in a world like today’s. A baby step towards more cultural awareness. I’m not playing devil’s advocate, but you have to be the cat and the mouse in order to play the game of cultural appropriation.

Being culturally and racially embraced is better than being culturally and racially stereotyped.
My culture is not a costume. My family’s traditions were never exchanged for anything. They are not the spoils of imperial culture war. But they can still be celebrated and embraced by those that wish to express themselves in ways other than what we consider socially acceptable. They aren’t abusing our culture, they’re adapting to it; let’s help them understand.