URVEE BHATHELA
My name, Urvee, means Earth.
I love my name, and it’s an important facet of my identity. Part of this could be related to the fact that I’ve never met a person with exactly the same name as me.
I’ve met people with similar names - Purvi or Urvashi, and I’ve heard that a friend of a friend has a name which sounds the same as mine, but the spelling is different - theirs is with an ‘i’, not ‘ee’.
When I introduce myself, I often get responses like ‘that’s a lovely/unique name, where is it from?’ and I get the chance to say, ‘India’.
This often leads to a conversation about India’s beautiful scenery, royal architecture, and vibrant fashion - and sometimes it’s complicated history and politics, and still prevalent poverty.
I’ve actually always felt a strong connection to the Indian aspect of my identity.
I was born in Gujarat, which is in the western part of India - and moved to Australia with my parents just after my third birthday.
My dad once told me that he had only ever seen one or two photographs of Sydney before migrating here. Those pictures were of Sydney CBD…skyscrapers and the harbour. So when we first arrived in Australia and were driving through the suburbs to stay at a family friend’s place, the rows of single-storey brick houses in Sydney’s Inner West were a bit different to what he was expecting.
Growing up, I genuinely enjoyed ‘Australian’ things - like watching Home and Away, spending Sundays at the beach, playing netball and eating Vegemite sandwiches. However, I was often labelled a ‘fob’ (fresh off the boat) by others my age as my parallel (and strong) interests in Indian music, dance, celebrities, food etc. weren’t considered cool - even for other migrant children.
Admittedly, there were times where I was conscious of things like how loud my Indian songs were playing through my headphones or in my car. I may have turned the music down, but never off. I’ve always been proud to say ‘I am Indian’, so it didn’t really bother me.
Through many means, but especially my friendships, I have come to realise that the statement ‘I am Indian’ can encompass so much.
My two closest childhood friends were born in the same Indian city as me (Vadodara), at the same hospital, and delivered by the same doctor! Yet, we speak different languages (Hindi, Gujarati), have different religious backgrounds (Hindu, Muslim), and even cook very different meals at home (mostly driven by our different vegetarian and non-vegetarian households).
Additionally, two of my closest high school friends and I got married within the same six-month period - and while we all had Hindu wedding ceremonies, each was completely different to the other as our families hail from different parts of India (Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu). I will say - this made the events all the more enjoyable, especially as I got to eat so many different types of food!
“THROUGH MANY MEANS, BUT ESPECIALLY MY FRIENDSHIPS, I HAVE COME TO REALISE THAT THE STATEMENT ‘I AM INDIAN’ CAN ENCOMPASS SO MUCH.”
These experiences arose a deep interest in me to experience more of India (again, especially the food). Our family trips to Vadodara every few years weren’t enough (though they make up a lot of my favourite childhood memories). Nor was my wedding in India. So in 2019, my husband and I decided to fulfil a longstanding dream of both of ours - to spend an extended time travelling and living in India. We based ourselves in Mumbai and travelled to 14 of India’s 28 states and three of eight union territories, before our trip was cut short by COVID-19.
Nevertheless, the time we did get to spend in India was amazing.
My husband is able to read and write in Gujarati, and both of us can speak Gujarati (and to an extent, Hindi). This language proficiency proved very valuable - as while the moderately wealthy and younger generation in India are well-versed in English, experiencing the country outside of its main attractions could only truly be done with this ability.
I fondly remember our conversations with some of our drivers who shared with us the stories their elders shared with them about Indian legends, such as Rani Padmini, whose image was tarnished by her depiction in Bollywood; or the chai we shared one afternoon with a large family in a Punjabi village who excitedly told us about their daughter’s wedding the previous day.
We felt so grateful to our grandparents for instilling our language in us. It was they who pushed us to be able to fluently speak Gujarati so we could continue connecting with them on a deeper level. Language, I believe, is a powerful key to access culture, and especially the people of that culture who hold stories and traditions in their minds and their hearts.
We are just as grateful to our parents for the life we have as Indian-Australians. It has been a privilege to experience the vastness of India’s culture. My aunties and uncles in India often exclaim that I have experienced more of India than they ever will.
In India, every state, even cities within states, have their own history, heroes, climate, food, language, music, dressing, behaviour, and beliefs…just to name a few things. However, these differences, more often than not, seem to be the cause of divisions within India, instead of reasons to celebrate - as I have experienced as an Indian-Australian.
Growing up in Sydney, I have celebrated Diwali and Eid; chanted mantras and sang hymns; eaten ladoos and shrikhand; spoken Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Punjabi (albeit sparsely); read parts of the Bhagavad Gita and the Bible; draped a saree in a Gujarati, Bengali and Marathi way; and visited temples, gurdwaras, monasteries, mosques and churches.
While approximately 1.4 billion people can call themselves ‘Indian’, and over 455,000 can call themselves ‘Indian-Australian’, I’ve learnt that each person’s experience of culture is shaped by many factors. From their birthplace and where they call home, to family, friends, travels, values - and even their name.
WHAT WE EAT IS MEANINGFUL
My preferred breakfast dish (and anytime snack) is methi thepla, a Gujarati flatbread. I can’t say I’ve learnt to make it myself…yet. However, even though I’m now married and have moved out, my mum continues to make methi thepla at her house - and she always gives me some to take home. I think the best way to have thepla is with a spread of Vegemite!
DISH OF OUR HERITAGE
METHI THEPLA