Vicky Sarkar: Transforming Life Through Yoga And Veganism

Vicky Sarkar: Transforming Life Through Yoga And Veganism

Located in the heart of Himachal Pradesh’s most seasoned tourist destination, Dharamkot, Arahantas is a one-stop terminus for all vegetarians and yoga enthusiasts. An amalgamation of vegan and satvik food, it serves pure vegetarian food and has embodied the philosophy of comfort with meditation tied to the very best in taste for vegan food lovers and connoisseurs of good taste.

My City Links met up with Vicky Sarkar, the founder of one of the most unique and holistic food joints that serve myriad offerings of vegetarian delights along with mindful meditation, to discover the vision and idea behind the restaurant. Here are a few excerpts from the conversation:

When and how did you venture into yoga?

So after completing my MBA from XIMB, Bhubaneswar, I got placed in a multinational company. But I felt a void within. I wanted to do something bigger and expand my portfolio. So when the pandemic hit, and there was recession all over, everything came to a halt. That is when I decided to return to my hometown and started learning yoga. I had always been interested in yoga since my college days and so I decided to get myself certified. During the pandemic, I stopped looking for jobs and focused on my passion for fitness. I went to a gurukul in Rishikesh and got accustomed to satvik food, waking up early, yoga, Astanga, games and meditation. There I realised that yoga is not just about exercises, but there is much more to it. So right now I am not a yoga teacher, but rather an asana teacher and also an assistant ashtanga teacher.

Was this always your life’s goal?

My objective in life has always been growth. I ask myself each day how much I have grown since the previous day. To be honest, I wasn’t always like this. I used to smoke and drink. Eventually, when I sat with myself and explored my inner voice, I understood myself and realised that I needed to change my habits. What is the point of idling your time in gossip or invaluable activities if you’re not growing yourself and in the community? So during my stay at the gurukul, I slowly learned the true meaning of life. I meditated on the ghats of Ganga. The slow pauses I took, taught me about myself and life. I realised that life cannot happen to me, I have to be the life.

How did your collaborative venture commence?

I befriended Manas Das, an Odia in Rishikesh. He had an amazing life- a family and a good job. Superficially, everything looked very fairytale-like, but in reality, he was sucked out by corporate life. This is a very bitter fact of life. With the increase in income, needs and wants also increase. This loop needs to be broken to find a truly happy life. So together we decided to do something for our peace of mind and also cater to society. With a strong mutual belief in minimalism and veganism, we combined both. And that is how Arahantas was born. So he wanted to venture into a vegan cafe business but I wanted to start a yoga shala. He was very influenced by minimalism, Mahatma Gandhi and Buddhism. I used to follow the teachings of Buddhism since my childhood days as my father was an ardent follower of Buddha. So this was my calling. I had been around these concepts since childhood. So we mutually chose a place in Dharamkot, Himachal Pradesh and set up a cafe with whatever we could within a few days. So this is how everything fell into place and we started out with Arahantas on 1st October 2021.

What is Arahantas?

Arahanta in the Pali language means a monk who is on a journey to attain Nirvana or enlightenment. We derived the name, Arahantas from it, as a place or rather I would say it is an invitation to metamorphosis or self-transformation. It is a place that helps people who have come here to get transformed. So basically everyone is an Arahanta who is on a journey to transform themself to attain enlightenment. Apart from that, people connect easily with food. Manas and I are both foodies. But he is purely a vegan, but I just became a vegetarian. My journey from non-vegetarian to veganism is processing. So we created a space where people can come and get inspired to lead a healthy lifestyle where the body, mind and soul are connected. Meditation and yoga is a great ways to transform into a healthy lifestyle. So teaching yoga and meditation and serving vegan and Sattvik food in our cafe is our motto.

Why did you not venture into this in Odisha?

Odisha would have been my first and foremost choice. But owing to unfavourable weather conditions, the plan was dropped. The weather here is not suitable for meditation. You need the right peaceful atmosphere to not get distracted by the outside world. Yoga and meditation should be calming to the mind and soul. Here the traffic and the sound of the people are all distractions. The weather is too humid. Even if we sit outside, it is not conducive. So I have planned small workshops probably in Koraput or Daringbadi where I will try and create the environment beforehand. It is a long and hectic process and an amalgamation of different activities. Meditation, excursions, going to waterfalls, and connecting with nature are all part of the plan. There will also be art classes to explore the creative side of people. So for now, we only have this provisional plan in Odisha.

What do you feel is the main vision behind Arahantas in the long run? 

I have switched from the corporate world to a spiritual path. I am still on the same journey. So the main aim or vision behind Arahantas is the same. I want to help other people too to transform and start life afresh with a new perspective and mindset. The main vision is to encourage and ease transformation. In March this year, we are starting a workshop, where we will be striving to make Arahantas a retreat centre perhaps. A residential program where we would educate people by helping them with their journey of transformation. To make it fruitful, we have finalised three courses for transformation- Health & Fitness Program, Entrepreneurial Program and Stress Management Program. We also believe in being organic, so we have our own farmland where our owner does the farming and we help her with whatever she needs on the agricultural aspects. 

So did this bring about a difference from what you had originally expected?

Indeed, it has just been four months and we are already overwhelmed with the love and acceptance of people. They have given reviews on Google which are uplifting. The yoga classes are appreciated and the food is enjoyed too. So overall it is a very happy feeling. So our motto to promote veganism and mindful living has been fruitful. Transforming yourself to attain a sense of nirvana, is what lies at the heart of Arahantas.