Sadhya with a healthy twist

Onam, the official state festival of Kerala that marks the end of monsoon and the start of the harvest season, is celebrated in the first week of September. However, given that for two years, Kerala has suffered floods that killed hundreds of people and destroyed several farmers' yield, Sanctuary to Health and Reconnection to Animals and Nature (SHARAN), a non-profit organisation with the goal of spreading awareness about holistic health, ecologically-friendly habits and sustainable lifestyle, is bringing in the festival with a twist.

They are hosting a healthy sadhya, a feast consisting of a variety of traditional vegetarian dishes that are usually served on a banana leaf. What sets this Onam celebration apart is the fact that everything will be prepared without a single drop of oil, sugar, butter, ghee or preservatives. A team of passionate cooks at SHARAN has been experimenting with plant-based meals to put this feast together, which will have everything that is typically included in a sadhya: sambhar, avial, erisseri, olan, kalan, koottu curry, thoran, pachadi, stew, ingi puli, rasam, chaas, payasam, pullissery, kichedi, banana chips and more. "We want to show how going on a healthy, vegan diet can help save the environment and we have the feast to prove it," says Reyna Rupani, the organisation's Mumbai head. The celebrations, therefore, will be kick-started with the screening of a short 20-minute film that talks about the direct impact of what we eat on the environment.

ON September 8, 12 pm
AT Sharan Mumbai Centre, 306, Laxmi Industrial Estate, Andheri West.
CALL 9769117747
Log on to sharan-india.org
Cost Rs 1,200

Taste of Kerala
Here's where else you can dig into a traditional sadhya, never mind the dollop of ghee:

ON September 11, 11 am to 11 pm
AT Hotel Deluxe, Fort.
Cost Rs 1,200

ON September 11, 12 pm to 3.30 pm and 7 pm to 12 pm
AT Dakshin Culture Curry, Mahim.
Cost Rs 595

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