CHENNAI: The concept of veganism is much more than the long list of restricted food items. As the American professor, Gary Lawrence Francione puts it, “Veganism is not about giving anything up or losing anything; it is about gaining the peace within yourself that comes from embracing non-violence and refusing to participate in the exploitation of the vulnerable.” Taking up the message of veganism as a tool to spread peace, promote sustainability and cherish the planet in which we live, Earth Story, Chennai’s first all-vegan store in collaboration with Eko-Lyfe, a zero-waste cafe and store, is conducting The Vegan Fest today.
Into the vegan market
Titled The Conscious Market for the previous editions, this year in its sixth edition, Earth Story plans to have a grand event, Chennai’s largest eco-friendly festival, and will be co-hosted by dancer Anita Ratnam. The fest will have over 45 stalls which will look into specific areas of interest of the customers. Stating that this year’s event will be a unique one, Dhaval Chandarana, founder of Earth Story, adds, “We have found the best stores from all around the country to collaborate with us.
The String Theory is a one-stop gifting platform with products made from string art. Dollop Bake House is launching its exclusive gluten-free and vegan dessert selection. RawEarth Wellness provides a full range of vegan and cruelty-free skincare and haircare products. Oh scrap! presents upcycled fabric scrap collected from garment exporters, tailoring units and individuals. We also offer books, personal care products, vegan food products including mock meats, chocolates, desserts, and kombucha. All the stores teaming up with us have their unique collection and adhere to the principles of veganism.”
Earth Story has also come up with a bunch of fun activities to keep the customers engaged. Starting with the book swap where participants can bring used books and swap them with the ones which the store provides. The colour party, an event to endorse eco-friendly art, is the most awaited event of the fest, it seems. Dhaval shares, “Participants can come without any preparation. They will be provided with canvas and organic paint and can paint with others and bring their creations to their homes.”
Advocating that physical, mental and emotional well-being is the most important thing throughout the different phases of life, the fest also provides sound healing, theta healing, frequency therapy and the creation of self-help products with the help of Aasmaa, Life studio. It welcomes everyone to the one-day event to cherish life and adopt the true meaning of veganism — building inner peace.