Earth to Earth: Making Diwali a guilt-free and conscious celebration

Peepal Farm, a stray animal recovery centre and organic farm in the Himalayan foothills, is celebrating a caring Diwali this year

Peepal Farm is located in Dhanotu near Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh.

Making Diwali a guilt-free and conscious celebration this year, Peepal Farm — a stray animal recovery centre and organic farm nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas (in Dhanotu near Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh) — is offering Diwali hampers that are filled with love and handmade vegan products straight from their kitchen, packed artistically in colourful potlis, created from upcycled fabric.

Shivani Kohli and her husband Robin Singh founded Peepal Farm four years ago, which comprises of a stray animal recovery centre, now home to over 40 strays, with the couple also facilitating their adoption.

The couple, both vegans, moved from the US to set up Peepal Farm, for they felt for the cause.

For the last few weeks, 38-year-old Kohli and her team of women workers are dishing out treats using ingredients grown in their organic farm. The Diwali potlis and jars have a variety of tasty surprises — peanut butter, vegantella (chocolate sauce), organic chai masala, poha, muesli, almond butter, seed butter (made using five varieties of healthy seeds), banana chips and pure turmeric.

“The hampers are not only attractive, but also affordable, with an aim to encourage people to choose a healthy gifting option this festive season and also spread the word on not using plastic and opting for environment-friendly packaging. For making cloth potlis to wrap hampers, we requested friends to give us old sarees, kurtas and other fabrics,” explains Kohli.

The couple, both vegans, moved from the US to set up Peepal Farm, for they felt for the cause. “My husband worked as a software engineer and I was in the field of e-commerce and we decided to do something concrete to reduce the pain and suffering of animals,” says Kohli.

The larger idea and philosophy of Peepal Farm is to foster a group of independent people who can work towards improving the current situation of animals.

Mimi, a sheep came to the shelter with severe face infection, abandoned by a shepherd and is now recovering, while Pablo, a pig was rescued from a slaughter house, as was Sanju, the goat. “We have a full-time vet and volunteers can stay with us if they want to serve animals. We also have a dog-catching team. Women workers who help us in kitchen are from financially weaker background and some are working to support their education,” says Kohli.

The larger idea and philosophy of Peepal Farm is to foster a group of independent people who can work towards improving the current situation of animals, whether it’s directly working with animals or human welfare coupled with fostering compassion for animals.

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“Our gift hampers of vegan, healthy and nutritious goodies are a step and way to celebrate a compassionate and caring Diwali and create consciousness towards these issues among people,” adds Singh.

Divya Goyal

Divya Goyal is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Ludhiana (Punjab). She is widely recognized for her human-interest storytelling and in-depth investigative reporting on social and political issues in the region. Professional Profile Experience: With over 13 years in journalism, she joined The Indian Express in 2012. She previously worked with Hindustan Times. Education: A gold medalist in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi. Core Beats: She covers a diverse range of subjects, including gender issues, education, the Sikh diaspora, heritage, and the legacy of the Partition. She has also reported on minority communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Awards and Recognition Divya has earned significant acclaim for her sensitivity toward gender and social disparities: Laadli Media Award (2020): For her investigative report "Punjab: The Invisible Drug Addicts," which exposed the gender disparity in treating women addicts. Laadli Media Award (2023): For a ground report on the struggles of two girls who had to ride a boat to reach their school in a border village of Punjab. Signature Style Divya is known for "humanizing the news." Rather than just reporting on policy, she often focuses on the individuals affected by it—such as students dealing with exam stress, farmers struggling with diversification, or families impacted by crime. Her work often bridges the gap between West (Pakistan) and East (India) Punjab, exploring shared heritage and common struggles. X (Twitter): @DivyaGoyal_ ... Read More

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