I AM VIRYA

16/08/2026

FOOD THAT CROSSES BORDERS THAT PEOPLE CANNOT ❤️‍🩹🌾🧡💚🤍

Following my last post about the Punjab Partition, I wanted to share another part of my Punjabi heritage — the food.

Before 1947, Punjab wasn’t divided into the India and Pakistan we know today. Lahore, Amritsar, Rawalpindi, Jalandhar and countless other places were part of the same cultural landscape.

And the food reflected that.

🌱 Saag
🌽 Makki di roti
🫘 Pindi chole
🥬 Saag chole
🍚 Khichdi
🍆 Baingan bharta
🥔 Aloo gobi
🫓 Roti
🌿 Seasonal sabzis
🫘 Simple dal

These weren’t simply recipes. They were food grown from the land, cooked in family kitchens, shared between communities and passed from one generation to another.

And that’s what makes food so powerful.

Borders can change maps. They can separate villages, families and countries. But they can’t completely erase the memories carried through food. ✊🏼🇮🇳🍛

As someone whose grandfather was born in Lahore before being forced to flee to Jalandhar during Partition, these dishes feel like more than Punjabi cuisine to me.

They are a connection to a home my family could no longer return to.

And this is exactly why food sits at the heart of .

For me, nourishing someone isn’t simply about feeding their body. It’s about dignity, connection, community and remembering that food should bring people together, not divide them. 🤲🏽

This is why I choose to celebrate the vegetarian and plant-based traditions within my Punjabi heritage through the food I create and share.

Because sometimes, preserving history isn’t about looking backwards.

It’s about carrying the best parts of it forward. 🌾

One meal. One memory. One community. One soul at a time.

Beyond borders. Beyond divisions. We are one. 🧡💚🤍

16/08/2026

I know I’m late for this post, but I was still thinking about what 15 August 1947 — — actually means to me. 🇮🇳

As a British Punjabi Indian 🇮🇳🇬🇧, I feel conflicted about the history of the country I was born and raised in, and the land where my parents and ancestors came from.

The more I’ve learnt about my ancestral history, the more I’ve understood the pain, displacement and loss that Partition brought, particularly to . While independence marked the end of British rule, for millions it also brought unimaginable suffering, families were uprooted, communities divided and homes lost. ❤️‍🩹

And this isn’t just history to me. It is personal. 😮‍💨

I learnt that my grandfather was from Lahore. During Partition, he and his family had to flee to Jalandhar. A place that was once home became somewhere my family could no longer return to.

Sometimes borders don’t just divide countries. They divide families, memories and generations. 💔

As a Punjabi Indian, I carry both the pain of that history and the resilience that came from it. ✊🏼

This is where comes in. For me, Shakti is about transforming pain into purpose, choosing compassion over division and using our strength to build something better.

True independence is more than freedom from foreign rule. It is freedom from hatred, prejudice and indifference, and the freedom to see one another simply as human. ❤️

Partition drew a line through Punjab, but it doesn’t have to draw a line through our hearts.

Through WE ARE SHAKTI, I want to build bridges through food, kindness, community and service, one soul at a time. 🧡💚

Beyond borders. Beyond divisions. We are one.

🇮🇳 15 August 1947 — a day to remember, reflect and honour.

Jai Hind. For Punjab. For our ancestors. For our future. 🧡💚

22/07/2026

The death of the ego is the beginning of compassion. ❤️🕉️🔥

Many see Kali and only see destruction.

We see liberation.

Kali reminds us that the greatest battle is not against each other, but against the ego, fear, greed, hatred and illusion that separate us from our shared humanity. When the ego dissolves, compassion takes its place. When compassion leads, suffering begins to fade.

At We Are Shakti, this philosophy isn’t just something we believe, it’s something we live every day.

Every meal we prepare, every person we serve, every volunteer we empower and every act of kindness is an opportunity to put the ego aside and choose service over self.

Inspired by the wisdom of Shiva and Kali, and guided by the universal truth represented through Om (ॐ) and Ik Onkar (ੴ), we honour the belief that beneath every culture, faith and background, we are one human family.

Our charitable organisation exists to nourish bodies, restore dignity, create purpose and help prevent homelessness through authentic vegetarian and vegan Indian food, community, compassion and spiritual action.

Real spirituality is not found in words alone. It is lived through our actions, every single day.

🌾 Feeding the hungry.
🤲 Serving without expectation.
🕊️ Protecting all life.
☮️ Choosing peace over conflict.
❤️ Living with love over fear.

Together, we can build a world where compassion is stronger than division, kindness is stronger than hate, and service becomes a way of life.

One Purpose. One Community. One Divine Energy. 🪷

We Are Shakti. 🧡

22/07/2026

The End of Suffering Is the End of the Ego

Every seeker asks how suffering can end. The mind searches for better circumstances, better relationships, better beliefs, and better futures. Yet suffering continues because its root remains untouched.

Kali points to the real source of suffering: the illusion of the separate self. The ego lives through attachment, fear, comparison, desire, and the constant struggle to become something. As long as the ego survives, suffering finds new forms.

The death of the ego is not the death of the body. It is the end of the false identity that claims ownership, seeks security, and resists life. When the illusion of the “I” dissolves, suffering loses the ground on which it stands.

Freedom is not achieved by becoming someone greater. It begins when the one who seeks disappears.

Source:
Original reflection inspired by the symbolic wisdom of Kali.

19/07/2026

🪷✨ Standing before Lord Vishnu was a moment of stillness I didn’t know I needed.

At the beautiful | Hare Krishna Temple, I was reminded that spirituality isn’t about escaping the world, it’s about how we choose to live within it. 🤍

In Hindu philosophy, Lord Vishnu is the Preserver, the protector of dharma (righteousness), compassion and harmony. He reminds us that true strength isn’t found in power over others, but in protecting life, serving humanity and restoring balance whenever the world falls out of harmony. 🌍🙏

That resonates deeply with the philosophy of We Are Shakti.

To us, spirituality is lived through action.

🍛 Feeding those in need.
🤝 Building community.
❤️ Choosing compassion.
🌱 Respecting all living beings.
🕊️ Working towards a world rooted in peace and harmony.

Every meal we serve is an act of seva (selfless service). Every person we support is a reminder that dignity, kindness and opportunity should belong to everyone.

Our logo represents this philosophy.

☬ Ik Onkar reminds us there is One Creator and the same divine light exists within every living being.

🕉️ Om reminds us that we are all connected through one universal consciousness.

🔱 Shiva teaches us that transformation begins within.

🌺 Kali gives us the courage to let go of fear, ego and division.

🪷 Vishnu reminds us that once we awaken to these truths, our responsibility is to preserve them through compassion, service and righteous action.

Together, they represent the journey of We Are Shakti.

Not simply to create change…
But to sustain it.

Not simply to feed people…
But to nourish humanity.

Because Shakti is the divine energy within us all, and when we choose compassion over indifference, we become part of something far greater than ourselves. ✨

❤️ One Purpose. One Community. One Divine Energy.

Dharma

19/07/2026

I can’t tell if they like me 🥹😭🤭🐄🤍

There is something profoundly peaceful about standing beside a cow.

Recently, I had the privilege of spending time at the beautiful Bhaktivedanta Manor Hare Krishna Temple and visiting New Gokul Farm, where cows are not viewed as commodities, but as souls worthy of love, protection and lifelong care. Every cow and bull is cared for with compassion throughout their entire lives, reflecting the principle of go-rakṣya (cow protection). 🙏🌿

Moments like these remind me why We Are Shakti exists.

For us, spirituality is not only something we believe, it is something we live. It is reflected in how we treat every living being, especially those who cannot speak for themselves.

In many Dharmic traditions, the cow symbolises ahimsa (non-violence), compassion, unconditional giving and the nurturing energy of Mother Earth. To care for a cow is to honour life itself. 🐄✨

That same philosophy is why our food is entirely authentic vegetarian and vegan Indian cuisine. 🌱 It is our way of choosing kindness, reducing harm and living in harmony with all beings.

When we nourish people, protect animals and serve our communities, we are living the same truth.

Compassion is not an idea.
It is a way of life. ❤️🌍

We Are Shakti.
One Purpose. One Community. One Divine Energy. 🧡🙏

19/07/2026

The rebrand was only the beginning. This is the heart behind it. 🧡🔥

Every symbol in our identity has a purpose.

🕉️ Om reminds us that all life begins from the same universal vibration.
☬ Ik Onkar reminds us there is One Creator, One Light, present in every living being.
🕉️ Shiva represents inner stillness, wisdom and transformation.
🌺 Kali reminds us to remove fear, ego and illusion, creating space for compassion, courage and truth.

Together, they form Shakti, the divine energy that lives within us all.

That philosophy guides everything we do.

🍛 We nourish bodies with authentic vegetarian and vegan Indian food.
❤️ We serve people with dignity.
🛡️ We protect those who need support.
🤝 We lift communities through compassion.
🌍 We believe peace, harmony and unity are not ideals, they are responsibilities.

WE ARE SHAKTI is more than a charitable organisation. It is a reminder that when spirituality becomes action, humanity flourishes.

One Purpose. One Community. One Divine Energy. 🙏✨

19/07/2026

🙏🏼

Why Kali Destroys Your Greatest Ambition

People pray to Kali for success, protection, wealth, and victory. But Kali is not concerned with fulfilling the ambitions of the ego. She comes to expose the illusion that believes fulfillment can be found through becoming someone.

The ego asks for blessings to strengthen itself. Kali’s blessing is the opposite. She cuts through pride, attachment, fear, and the endless desire to achieve. What disappears is not your true nature—it is the false identity that has mistaken ambition for freedom.

Kali does not destroy life. She destroys the ignorance that keeps you trapped in it. When ambition born of the ego comes to an end, what remains is effortless clarity, fearless presence, and the freedom that no success can ever provide.

Source:
A reflection on the teachings and symbolism of Kali in the Devi Mahatmya, the Kali Ta**ra, and the non-dual traditions of Shaktism.

**ra

19/07/2026

Jai Kali Ma is one of the most misunderstood symbols in the world. ❤️🖤

She does not represent anger. She represents the courage to let go of what no longer serves us. 🔥

The destruction of ego. The ending of illusion. The courage to release fear, hatred, attachment and division, so truth, compassion and love can emerge. 🌺✨

At We Are Shakti, Kali reminds us that transformation often begins where comfort ends. Every ending creates space for a new beginning. Every act of surrender creates room for growth. 🤲🏽

Together with Shiva, who represents stillness, awareness and infinite consciousness, they remind us that true strength is found in the balance between action and peace, courage and compassion, destruction and creation. ☯️🕉️

This is reflected throughout our identity. The Om (🕉️) symbol reminds us of the universal vibration from which all life arises. The Ik Onkar (☬) reminds us that there is One Creator and one divine light present in every living being. Different traditions, one shared truth. 🌍✨

That is the heart of We Are Shakti. ❤️

A charitable organisation serving authentic vegetarian and vegan Indian food, nourishing bodies, uplifting lives and helping prevent homelessness. 🍛🤝

Because transformation is not just personal. It is collective.

When we let go of ego, we create space for kindness. When we choose compassion over judgement, service over self, and unity over division, we create a better world together. 🌿

One Purpose. One Community. One Divine Energy. ❤️☬🕉️

12/07/2026

Humanity is not complicated. 🤍🌍

Somewhere along the way, we forgot something simple.

We forgot that every person carries the same divine light. ✨ Whether you call it Ik Onkar ☬, Om 🕉️, God, Source or simply love, the philosophy remains the same, we are not separate.

At We Are Shakti, this is the foundation of everything we do. Lord Shiva reminds us to live with awareness, wisdom and inner peace. Goddess Kali reminds us to have the courage to protect, transform and stand for truth. Together, they represent the balance that exists within us all. ❤️🖤

Our philosophy is simple:
🍛 Feed people.
🤝 Serve people.
💛 Protect people.
🌱 Lift people.
🌍 Live in harmony with one another.

Because humanity is not complicated.
Compassion is a choice.
Peace is a choice.
Love is a choice.

We are Shakti. ✨

One Purpose. One Community. One Divine Energy. ☬ 🕉️