Turban-charged
THE WEEK India|August 20, 2023
Your inner Punjabi-ness lies deep within you, hardcoded in your DNA
VIKRAMJIT SINGH
Turban-charged

IT'S 2023. Meditation is cool, and Punjabis are confused. Why would you be quiet? Why not just find yourself between laughs and 'tikkas' at a buffet table?

Now that I have you hooked with a stereotype, let's get the others out of the way: the wild dancing, the heart on the sleeve, the country bumpkin, the fancy cars, the larger than life weddings. They are all true, but also insufficient. Like Chicken tikka masala is "Indian food" to someone in London, but does not even begin to cover the whole universe of Indian food.

Also, it's 2023. "Culture" is defined as what is trending on Instagram. Food delivery apps get you food from every part of the country. Malls look the same everywhere. You are watching a Korean web series with subtitles. Your grandparents have passed on and wedding rituals have been outsourced to Bollywood. Is there anything Punjabi, Gujarati, Malayali, Bengali or Tamilian about your way of life anymore?

Thankfully, there is. Deep within you. Hardcoded in your DNA. It shows up in the words you speak when pushed to the edge of happiness, sadness or anger. It is in how you dance when no one is watching. It is in the instinctive decisions you ascribe to your "gut feel", the terms of endearment you whisper to your partner, your "comfort food", and your people who feel like home.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE WEEK INDIAView all
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
THE WEEK India

What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?

IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
THE WEEK India

Trump and the crisis of liberalism

Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Men eye the woman's purse
THE WEEK India

Men eye the woman's purse

A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024
When trees hold hands
THE WEEK India

When trees hold hands

A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges

time-read
3 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Ms Gee & Gen Z
THE WEEK India

Ms Gee & Gen Z

The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing

time-read
5 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
THE WEEK India

Vikram Seth-a suitable man

Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Superman bites the dust
THE WEEK India

Superman bites the dust

When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 08, 2024
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
THE WEEK India

OLD MAN AND THE SEA

Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port

time-read
4 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE WEEK India

Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets

THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
THE WEEK India

Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay

AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024