Jain Digest 2007 04

SR No.: 527103
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA
Publication Year: 2007
Total Pages: 60
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, USA_Jain Digest, & USA
File Size: 9 MB

Page 22

INSPIRATION
20
Jain Digest Summer 2007
for foods with highly flavorful as well as nutritional
Jain Education in Helion qualities, and developed a unique culinary style for
their restaurant.
Ahimsa Inc., where ethics and Inventive food preparation techniques are used at
Ahimsa to obtain the maximum flavor and retain the beautifying nutrients of foods which are often destroyed through conventional cooking.
indulgence co-exist.
Nirav Shah is a teen of many passions. Fine art is one, music is another and creating a cutting edge restaurant is yet another. "Most kids start out with a lemonade stand but Nirav Shah a New Haven teenager is cooking up a creative way to bring gourmet 'green' cuisine to the masses" reports Mark Robbins of ABC Channel 8 prime time news. Not many teens become restaurateurs. Nirav though, is not your typical teenager. And he is certainly not the traditional restaurant owner.
Born and raised in southern Connecticut, 18 year old Nirav is a high school senior. He not only envisioned the idea, but also did demographic studies, prepared a business plan, designed the space, test marketed the concept and launched this pure vegetarian (vegan)
restaurant that he named Ahimsa.
Ahimsa is not just a fancy word for Nirav who has been an active member of the Connecticut Jain Pathshala. “It is time we go beyond the rhetoric and actively practice and promote this universal concept," he says. "We need to be compassionate not only to our own body and to other living beings, but also to our environment". Even the packaging material, takeout containers and cutlery he uses are all 100% biodegradable and compostable. "Yes, it costs more, but think of the damage we cause to the environment when we use petroleum based plastic or foam plates" he concludes.
Ahimsa is not mere non-injury. It is positive - universal love. It is the development of a mental attitude in which hatred is replaced by love. Ahimsa is compassion. Ahimsa is forgiveness. Ahimsa is Shakti (power). Ahimsa is true strength as demonstrated by Mahatma Gandhi. Ahimsa restaurant's grand opening celebration was kicked off with a dinner lecture by Prof. RajMohan Gandhi (grandson of Mahatma Gandhi).
"All food on earth is a derivative of the capturing of sunlight through photosynthesis," Nirav says. "Instead of settling for second-hand energy and nutrients processed through animals, via meat and dairy, we simply go for the direct source. Pure vegetarian and raw foods at Ahimsa facilitates this."
Avid cooks and active travelers, Nirav and his younger brother Nikhil have diligently searched the globe
cation International
While Ahimsa's culinary style also offers patrons a totally more than a breakthrough cuisine with this restaurant new dining experience, Nirav believes he is providing
venture.
"This is a lifestyle choice that helps you feel and look healthier, be more vibrant and be more exuberant," Nirav says. "It's all about making a lasting decision to embrace an ethical and sustainable future."
Nirav has served YJA (Young Jains of America) board as a regional coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic region and helped organize 2006 YJA convention in Connecticut -themed "Making Our Life Our Message". In summer of 2004 he also represented JAINA at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Barcelona, and at the leadership summit in Montserrat, Spain.
Set near the Yale campus, his hip, eclectic hotspot caters to a diverse range of palates, including those of vegans and vegetarians, raw foodists, trend setting youngsters and everyday diners looking for alternatives to harmful Web-site:www.ahimsainc.com
Prof. RajMohan Gandhi with Nirav Shah "I didn't miss dairy in the Indian-spiced soymilk rice pudding or wonderful warm, chocolate-filled, deep-fried won ton raviolis. Ahimsa is a nice example of this new breed of vegan restaurant. It is a family place that is the brainchild of 18-year-old Ninav Shah, who designed and vegan philosophy into practice." opened the restaurant as a way of putting his passion for
- The New York Times