''Paak Kala" - The art of cooking with Love

Posted by Bhumika Patel on Apr 16, 2016


Vinobaji used to say "Cooking is a beautiful art as it not only nurtures the body and mind, but also stimulates all our 5 sensory organs.”


It was a joy to receive 20 such artistic volunteers for the first ever retreat designed especially for volunteers at the Seva Cafe.
Seva Cafe is volunteer driven restaurant on C G Road, commercial hub of Ahmedabad where there are no prices on the menu and where the check reads Rs.0 with only this footnote: "Your meal was a gift from someone who came before you. To keep the chain of gifts alive, we invite you to pay it forward for those dine after you."
At Seva Cafe volunteers serve with the spirit of "Atithi Devo Bhava" which translates as "The Guest is God", where the meals are cooked and served with love, and offered to the guest as a genuine gift. According to Bhaskar, who is one of the oldest volunteers as well as the chief co-ordinator, the intention for this one day retreat was to bring Seva Cafe family and MBL family together to exchange stories and spread inspiration.

The opening circle started with inviting participants to share about their transformational moments while serving at Seva Cafe.
Darpan shared how he got introduced to the MBL family through Seva Cafe. Once he was toasting buns and saw that Bhaskar was using his hands instead of a spatula to turn the buns. Darpan noticed that the pan was hot and hurting him a little and asked why was he not using a spatula. Bhaskar’s humble response "By touching every bun, I am putting my love and prayers into them which in turn will nourish every guest who eats here today.”

Diken who used to think that washing dishes was not his job, now loves to do dishes as it helps him to surrender his ego. Neetaben who is also an Anganwadi teacher is so happy to volunteer at Seva Cafe that she never feels tired working here in spite of her long days.

Ajay shares how once when they were constructing the Seva Cafe he and his friend were hungry and wanted to go out for dinner. They were not allowed to enter the restaurant in spite of having money because their clothes were dirty from all the construction work, whereas Seva Cafe is open for anyone and everyone, and the guests are treated as a part of the family. Ajay has shifted his home which is far away from Seva Cafe and he misses serving at Seva Cafe so every Saturday, which is also the day he fasts, he serves food at Manav Sadhna. When someone asked him if he gets tempted to eat while serving on the day of fast, he replied saying he feels happy when he serves food, he feels as if he's having it himself.
Raju joined Seva Cafe at the age of 19 and has also worked in other places where he has observed a clear discrimination among the staff members whereas at Seva Cafe every member is treated as family. Seva Cafe family cooks together, serves together, and cleans together.
Bhaskar shared how Seva Cafe has moulded him since last 10 years. He feels Seva Cafe has given him his identity. Now he intends to spread this idea even further.

Kishan shared about a pregnant lady who was eating alone at the Seva Cafe and a concerned volunteer asked her why was she alone. She replied saying her family decided to eat out at a hotel nearby whereas she preferred to eat “home food”. So she came to Seva Cafe while her family was dining somewhere else.
Jayeshbhai concluded the circle by reflecting that just as a painter takes a step back to get a better look at his painting and make changes, the Seva Cafe team also needs to take a step back, have a better view and re-organize.

Post lunch Khushmita facilitated a laughter yoga session followed by a guided relaxation session
This was followed by a video presentation about the ripples of Seva Cafe around the world by showcasing videos from Karma Kitchen and Seva Cafe all over the world.
After the presentation we broke into smaller groups and had beautiful "Heart Circles" where one could share any thought or feeling that is emerging at the moment and the rest of the members of the circle just held the space with absolute love. Second round of the sharing in heart circle was about the participants' thoughts about how to take Seva Cafe one step further, what new ideas can be incorporated.

In closing, the participants offered “3 steps and a bow” as a mark of their gratitude for all the gifts that life had given them as well as a cultivation of humility and surrender. It was a beautiful experience for many.

Later in the evening,Jayeshbhai had planned dinner at a nearby hotel where we all had delicious Gujarati meal and the day ended with our tummies filled with food, heart filled with love and faces with smiles and laughter.







Below is a slideshow that captures the spirit of this special gathering of hearts.

Posted by Bhumika Patel on Apr 16, 2016 | permalink


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  • Kishan wrote ...

    The invisible seeds of love, selflessness and offering are planted and nurtured by Seva Cafe, such a space , full of wonders, it is... Thank you Bhumika for sharing your reflections. It is amazing to witness the ripples, each of us visited / connected to the space feel the warmth and love in so many ways. The Seva Cafe family is ever inspiring...

  • Aabha wrote ...

    Thank you for sharing this Bhumika. The two magicians of Seva Cafe, Bahaskar and Pintu Bhai created the magic in Pune yesterday and it was awesome :)....