Roti is one of the most quintessential Indian foods, and in the Himalayas, it is a sense of community. On June 29, Rujuta Diwekar, a celebrity nutritionist who has worked with stars like Kareena Kapoor Khan, revealed that enjoying a simple roti in a Himalayan village taught her the importance of community to one’s overall health.
Sharing a post on Instagram, Rujuta wrote, “There are many reasons you shouldn’t quit on your roti, but ‘who knows when someone may make you a hot one’ is at the top of my list.” In it, she emphasised how roti fosters community in the Himalayas, highlighting its role in health and social connection.
She stressed that science now understands what Himalayan villages have always known and lived by: ‘community impacts life expectancy and vitality’. According to her, evidence is now pointing towards ‘social connection, prosociality, spirituality, optimism, and work’ as the 5 factors that improve the wellbeing of people and communities.
What is prosociality?
Rujuta confessed that earlier, she was often confused about what prosociality actually meant. However, during a trek to the Himalaya, she experienced how great prosociality feels in action and how deeply ingrained it is in the life and ways of the Himalayan people.
She shared, “They have a tradition of leaving their cattle in the forests just above their villages during the monsoon. On the pasture where they leave the cattle, they have a temple and a community kitchen, fully equipped with staples, utensils and a fireplace.”
Every now and then, someone will come to check on their own cattle and on everyone else’s, too. But when they do come up to the forest, Rujuta revealed, they always carry extra rotis with them in case some trekker might need them, some cow is injured, or you find a friend on the trail and enjoy the meal together.
She also shared a video of herself having roti in one of these community kitchens. At first, Rujuta had just walked in to warm herself by the fire while it rained outside, but then, she ended up having roti and some fresh green chutney.
She added that the locals had no clue who would exactly eat it, but they still did it, knowing exactly how great it would feel. “Prosocial behaviour is voluntary actions that are intended to help or assist another individual or society as a whole. It involves sharing, caring, cooperating, and helping without any underlying motive,” she added.
How did the internet react?
Praising communities in the mountains for their generosity, several Instagram users flooded the comments section with positive remarks. A user commented, “Beautiful way to live life in bliss.” Someone else shared, “The langar at a gurudwara community kitchen is where I have eaten some of my most memorable meals.” Another user wrote, “Wow, this is the true meaning of life.”
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
