Just because an Italian restaurant is opened and we should hv been ruled by others,is not acceptable as reason. But we should not have attained that socalled political freedom ! It might hurt many and hurts me too, but the fact is despite 58 years of azaadi,just think,look around for a while and then say...are we really free ? Imagine 58 years, a generation has gone old. There are still no roads, electricity, basic education,basic health, basic amenities, basic freedom.just go to interiors,you would agree with me. The quality of policial thoughts, level of bureaucracy, quality of life, quality of food, quality of medicines, quality of everything.
Recently, I made a documentary on the construction of New Delhi as capital of India. I had to do lot of readings and research. I marvel at the farsightedness of Herbert Baker and Edward Lutyens.they had drawn a plan for New Delhi which would not have gone stale for 200 years ! Look what we have done.we still marvel at the expanse of Rajpath and the buildings around them.we hv failed to create new ones. Their thinking was for a future India.while our own people have created chaos around us
Shame on you adults ! - for attacking the opinions of a 15 year old ! Who is the real child here - I think the adults here seem to be more childish than Nirav.
For the record, this was written by my son Nirav - his impressions of the place when we visited Rishikesh this summer. We were in this town for 4 full days and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and spirituality of the place. Most of our meals were in the various hotels like Chotiwala's (good Indian food), as well as places in the Swarag Ashram area and the restaurant at the hotel we stayed The Great Ganga. Our activities were a combination of all things possible in this town: visiting all ashrams (spiritual), white water rafting (adventure), eating good wholesome Indian food (pet pooja the best pooja of all) - and of course - the Italian food at Devraj. This just turned out to be exceptionally good - probably because we did not expect this quality in this town.
So what has been described by Nirav is only a part of the activities he was involved in. I wonder why this has attracted such flak from so many people? The whole idea of a family vacation is to enjoy different things be it culture, people, new places or food. And this article is simply about enjoying something unique in a place that itself is unique in so many ways.
RE:Tasty Italian fare in Rishikesh
by Kumud on Jul 09, 2006 01:22 AM Permalink
I so much agree with you. And I beg to differ. Nirav has put down his thoughts so articulately that he can be a writer in making. How many 15 yr olds like to write travel logs or feedbacks, and what pleases is not the content but the effort. (Although the content is very good too) One can really feel the aroma of the food and the waves of the holy river juxtaposed as Nirav writes it.Great Going. Regards.
i concur with the ideas of madhu. opening a italian joint sure will spoil the sanctiy of a holy place. it 'll sully the divine vibes emanating from a place like that. also i feel it is very incongruous to have such kinda thing in a holy place. it opens up avenues for westernisation which is not quiet desirable in such a place
Though this article is by a TV-watching West-aping Mumbai schoolkid, it shows the trend.
As a nation, it is time to wake up...Rishikesh is the gateway to DEVBHOOMI....for aeons, sages have meditated on its banks....some have gained enlightenment
But see how a schoolkid gets enlightenment on the banks of the Rishikesh Ganga...SHAME, SHAME
food may b mouthwatering. i remember long ago in 72 when i went there flies used to crowd into restaurants like honey bee swarms and interfere with every morsel of food we took. i hope the situation has improved now. ofcourse,the landscape and the weather and the cool waters of the ganga r worth the visit inspite of any inconvenience one may suffer. hygienic standards hv to b best besides mouthwatering food as western tourists r most susceptible to infections and even mosquito bites than any average indian.
contd... From morning breakfast of cereals to regular exercise to being polite in road-rules there is a lot to learn from the world. It never meant we are looking down on ourselves but introducing with the world. Also, dont you think that Indians deserve to taste meals from some other culture. If your concern is with Macdonalds and fast-food industry, and health concerns, then its a wrong message board coz you cant say Italian food is unhealthy but if your concern is with opening of restaurant of another culture then, I truly regret your confined mind and bounded thoughts. By saying we dont want to taste other food because our culture is the best is pathetic.
RE:RE:Tasty Italian fare in Rishikesh
by Umesh on Jul 09, 2006 04:31 PM Permalink
Hello people... let me make it clear that, Food cant be Indian or Non-Indian in the first place as somebody made a point over there..the basic neccessity of food, we all know... well...coming to Italian Food at Rishikesh, i really dont understand how does it blight on the Spirituality,if it really exists in the place...(Come on folks..its not the place its in YOU...the spiritual thing,Hope u all can understand this... The biggest war criminal U-KNOW-WHO cant become spiritual, only coz v leave him there to live for some, say, one week)... So junta, stop worrying abt food and stay sacred from inner you
Italian in Rishikesh and this bloke writes about eating while in Rishikesh, a beautiful place which has Holy vibrations all around! Yes, we have lost all pride in our own selves. Why do we need Italian food in India?! I have spent many days in Rishikesh and the best meals I ever had in my life so far was in Hanuman Temple there. My wife and I were fortunate to partake prasadam at Hanuman temple on a Hanuman Jayanti day. The cook, a bhakta, had made so many dishes that it took more than 30 mins to serve a sample of all of them! Each one was delicious and cooked with bhakti and tasted heavenly.
It is pathetic that people try to eat the same tamasic foods even in a place such as Rishikesh. A simple meal in any of the Ashrams or a temple is enough to charge our body for years.
I recommend partaking meals at Shivananda Ashram or Swaragashram and enjoy the purity.
Please have pride in yourself and do not be a party to wipe out our history and good traditions.
RE:Losing our ground
by siva on Jul 08, 2006 05:27 PM Permalink
i strongly disagree with some people's specious arguments around here. what a pity that the youth of todays's india dont even know that it is the food that makes a man and that makes him think the way he does. i couldnt help laughing and wondering at the ignorance of one of the girls here. how on earth can one attain spirituality by taking italian food for that matter any food which is essentially rajasic and tamasic.can't a person refrain from taking non-indian food for the period he stays in a holyplace. any spiritual practice demands that the person take only sattvic food and not the ones which arouse lustful felings ,anger etc (arishadvargas or 6 vices).
I demand that the joint be closed down immediately as places like rishikesh are the very few representatives of ancient india and its culture.
RE:Losing our ground
by Bala on Jul 08, 2006 04:01 PM Permalink
I accept with Mr Khan. Just by eating Pizza, no India becomes a traitor. Only those who are thinking that we should continue to be colonised are against the country and are not partriotic. I am really surprised that an innocent Pizza could trigger such heated arguments. Ask the chef to add more cheese.
RE:Losing our ground
by Tabrez Alam on Jul 08, 2006 03:35 PM Permalink
Relax Megha darling, jingoistic opposition to jingoistic patriotism is jingoistic communism.
RE:Losing our ground
by raj on Jul 09, 2006 06:52 PM Permalink
No way madhu dear
i am in spain fro 3 weeks i know hw dificult it is to live without our regular food. So if there is option for others it wil definately boost the tourism hence our economy..
RE:Losing our ground
by S. Ghosh on Jul 08, 2006 04:49 PM Permalink
Dear Devendra
What you & Madhu are saying is nothing but foolishness. Eating pizzas does not have anything to do with spirituality & It does not interfere with the sacredness of the place.
What is scaredness? What is spirituality? Are you yourself clear about these words. I don't think so.
I have seen so many people who are strictly vegeterians, who worship daily and who go to temples atleast once in a week. But there are many of them who are into unethical business, who cheat people, who commit crimes.
Sacredness and spirituality has nothing to do with eatting pizzas. It's all about how you treat people, what good things you are doing for the mankind and how honestly you are living.
The more I look at India, the more pathetic seems the scenario. What is wrong with India?
What is wrong with Indians I should say?
Are we going to get Mcdonalds and Pizza everywhere one travels in the world?
When will you be proud to be Indian and tell outsiders to come and taste your fare? Rishikesh is mainly a spiritual area. Food is meant to be of the simple and necessity kind. Not italian fare in this small area of india.
I think Mahatma Gandhi should not have come and liberated india. You were better off being ruled by others. You still are. Or is it to cater for italians in our country? Strange. I may be becoming bitter because indians cannot even be proud of their own.
RE:Tasty Italian fare in Rishikesh
by Devendra on Jul 08, 2006 04:18 PM Permalink
Hi Madhu
Pls do not get bogged down with all the negative responses that you might have received from fellow indians who probably do not even understand or know the sacred value of a place like Rishikesh. Moreover, they are not even aware that spirituality means a very simple attitude towards life. I have seen foreigners in Rishikesh wearing Indian attire and having simple Karhi Chawal or Dal Roti and reading books on Buddha, Yoga, Spirituality because they are sensible enough to understand the value and history behind Rishikesh.
RE:Tasty Italian fare in Rishikesh
by deepak on Jul 04, 2006 02:27 AM Permalink
who the hell do you think you are ,talking as if you yourself aren't an indian. first of all you should be ashamed of yourself for being such a hypocrite .i bet you yourself don't mind gulping down pizzas yourself and then you talk about simplicity . and you think we should not have been freed by the british, think again .what is wrong with you .its just a review of a restaurant in rishikesh where ,i for one,know that there are many foreigners coming and so its primarily for them .how dare you call us indians like that.
RE:Tasty Italian fare in Rishikesh
by Kamini Joshi on Jul 08, 2006 06:28 PM Permalink
When you try different cuisines, you may like some of them. But that does not mean you stop eating your own.Sometimes you realise that your own cuisine is much better. Indians are better judge of food. They know what is good for them.
RE:Tasty Italian fare in Rishikesh
by Kapil on Jul 09, 2006 08:58 PM Permalink
Dear Madhu, Shame to call you as Indian. I like Pizza, Thai, Chinese food and should enjoi rather than thinking like you. Come in bangkok and see how many Indian resuarants are here and Thai enjoi food. Kapil
RE:Tasty Italian fare in Rishikesh
by Mayank Keshariya on Jul 04, 2006 08:50 AM Permalink
I strongly disagree with your thoughts regarding India being pathetic or being ruled by others, simply, because an Italian restaurant is opened. Dont you think instead on sitting in a cocoon of your own world, it is better to mingle with the world understand another culture or at least taste their food. America, I suppose, you wont feel pathetic or ruled by others but they have the most number of Indian, Italian and Chinese restaurants . I live in NZ and here we have a lot of Indian and food-courts of every culture, it never meant that they forget their country or feel shameful of their culture or their food its just an openness towards other culture and a curiosity of their taste.... contd.
RE:Tasty Italian fare in Rishikesh
by Megha Agrawal on Jul 03, 2006 08:37 PM Permalink
Hello Madhu, Whats your problem in life? If we the Indians are praising a paricular cuisine or a restaurant for that matter, that doesnt mean we disapprove of Indian cuisine..There's no need at all to thrash out this person who has written this article, if u dont know the purpose behind it..this section is specially meant for people who r foodie. Your kind of Patriotism is actually Jingoism. We all need variety. If u r staying at a place like Rishikesh, we get Indian cuisine everywhere but if one wants change we can try Italian..if we have italian there for once ...it doesnt mean we are saying goodbye 2 spirituality...So please get rid of your puerile outlook towards life..the sooner the better ..especially for us..the rediff readers..and true Indians..who, unlike u, do understand the meaning of Unity in Diversity.
RE:Tasty Italian fare in Rishikesh
by Dr. Usman Khan on Jul 08, 2006 03:02 PM Permalink
Dear Madhu, I agree with ur feelings. But, its a review on food and restaurants. We should accept it as such.
In fact in other way, dont or never attept our country men about their love on India. Its in our blood.
