Starting over is one of the most daunting tasks one can take on and yet, Veena Torchia, a woman in her 60s took on this difficult mission when she shifted bases from the UK to Pushkar in Rajasthan, India. Veena and her husband Maurelio had fond memories of the city and when the opportunity presented itself for them to start over in India, they did not hesitate.
Here, Veena discusses her experiences and life in Pushkar with Asian Voice.
The stories about Indians moving abroad for better life prospects are ones we commonly hear. What led you to shift bases back from Britain, back to Pushkar?
I am of Indian origin and my great-great-grandparents were born in India and I’ve always had a connection with India. Apart from that, my husband Maurelio had been visiting India since the age of 17, he is actually a reincarnated Indian and we had mutually decided very early on in our lives that, at some point in life, we’d like to live in India.
There were quite a few catalysts that made us come to this decision, mainly Covid. I was working for a homeless charity called Crisis and basically managing the education department. With more and more charities getting heavily dependent on management, there is no work at the grassroots level and I was not happy with that. I left my job at Crisis, and was helping my daughter and husband, who started ‘The Artsy Vegan’. We were doing really well despite the pandemic and managed to open two shops. But then our landlord decided to make our rent impossible and we couldn’t continue. All of it just fast-tracked our move to India.
How has your experience of starting over in Pushkar been? What are some experiences you’ve had in Pushkar which you think wouldn’t have been a possibility in the UK?
Pushkar is a beautiful city with a diverse mix of people. Initially, the prospect of opening a vegan café was daunting to me as dairy is an important part of the culture here, but what struck me is the open-mindedness and the free-spiritedness of the people.
Honestly, I love that I can play a part in creating awareness about veganism in Pushkar as it is still a new concept around here. We are the first vegan café in Rajasthan. I don’t think this is something I would have experienced anywhere else. Moreover, I get to meet a lot of different people.
Moving to India, you’ve had to transition from the NHS. How has that transition been for you?
I’ve had no problem transitioning from the NHS. I simply visit the local hospitals for all my medical needs and manage to get the same medication I did in the UK. It is an additional relief that I don’t have to wait on my prescription for 24 hours. I can also get herbal supplements like ashwagandha easily. The best part, however, is that none of it costs an arm and a leg. Honestly, there is no competition between the two countries, India is doing great.
How has it been operating your café in Pushkar?
I get to spend a lot of time with my customers and get to interact with people from different walks of life. We spend our time talking, discussing, and debating on various topics. On the food end, we are mindful of the ingredients we use and stick to local and seasonal ingredients. For example, we had Turmeric Soy Latte on our menu during the winter and Pan Bubble Shake, which was interesting for the locals.
We use ingredients like millet and singhara which are the staple of Rajasthan. Also, we have a weekly menu where we try to bring the global flavours of the world, to our customer’s plates. We also work with an animal charity called TOLFA and give away the akara (soy husk) produced at the café for feeding the animals.
What are some of the things you look forward to as you commit to a life in India?
I look forward to working with women and young girls to help them express themselves creatively. Honestly, there is so much creativity to harness, if these women are shown the right direction. I also want to organize various workshops for children and introduce to the city, the concept of a human library.
Apart from all of this, I want to collaborate with the local community on various aspects and conduct a workshop on how to make bread out of okara. I would love to work on some projects related to zero- wastage and climate change as well.
