Michelin-starred chef leads cooking demo and storytelling session to honor Sadhu Vaswani's 146th birth anniversary and promote Meatless Day
NEW YORK, NY: Over 100 attendees gathered for an intimate afternoon with celebrity chef Vikas Khanna as the Bridge Builders hosted "Feast for Peace," a celebration of compassion through cooking in honor of Sadhu Vaswani's 146th birth anniversary.
The event, organized by the youth-led global service organization affiliated with the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, featured a live cooking demonstration of Khanna's famous sweet potato chaat, followed by an interactive Q&A and storytelling session that left attendees moved and inspired.
Before beginning his demonstration, Khanna shared a deeply personal memory of his first encounter with Dada J.P. Vaswani nearly a decade ago at the Princeton Club. "Dada talked about how wealth cannot make you rich... and it really touched my heart in many ways because I was becoming extremely mechanical, ambitious," Khanna reflected. "And of course, with the falls and rises, you learn new lessons of life."
The Michelin-starred chef, known for his work at Bungalow in New York and his humanitarian efforts worldwide, expressed gratitude for the enlightenment that moment provided and his eagerness to support the message of Meatless Day—an annual observance promoting vegetarianism as an act of compassion toward all living beings.
A Message of Compassion
Didi Krishna Kumari, Head of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, delivered a heartfelt explanation of Meatless Day's significance via video message, emphasizing "the difference that just one day can make." Her call to action resonated deeply with attendees, many of whom committed to observing the remainder of the day by eating vegetarian meals.
The event combined culinary artistry with spiritual reflection, creating an atmosphere where food became a vehicle for discussing larger values of compassion, community, and cultural values. “The whole event felt so community-driven and beautifully organized”, remarked Ritika Gupta, an attendee from New York City. Khanna's storytelling, interwoven with his cooking demonstration, captivated the audience and reinforced the evening's central message about the connection between what we eat and how we live.
(All photos courtesy: Bridge Builders)
