Good food will please anyone and everyone. The bonding over food is a different experience.
Meeting over a lunch has become a good relaxing way for the Supreme court Judges. Wednesdays are special for the Supreme Court judges. They wait for the hour-long lunch break that day with keen anticipation.
The lunch is laid out on a large rectangular table presided by the CJI. The host sits on his right and gives a brief introduction about the dishes. The rest sit wherever they like and enjoy the food, but strictly vegetarian.
All the Judges 28 of them rise ten minutes before the clock strikes 1pm, go to their chambers for a quick change and then proceed towards the common dining hall where a delectable three-course meal awaits the “lordships”.
The lip-smacking cuisine from a particular part of the country is home-cooked.
A sitting SC judge hosts the weekly common lunch. The dishes are part of the host judge’s home state, prepared at his residence.
A minimum of five food items have to be served in the main course and paan – as per each judge’s choice – is a must to end the lunch. Judges sometimes call cooks from their native place to prepare dishes with the right local flavour.
An unwritten rule is strictly followed at these lunches – only vegetarian cuisine is served to respect the sentiments of those who do not eat non-vegetarian food. The host is selected according to the judge’s seniority.
The Wednesday lunch not only gives judges an opportunity to taste a variety of Indian cuisines, but also shows their bonhomie.
Work is never discussed and judges leave their differences at the door. Food is the only topic of discussion with some of the judges boasting about their local cuisines.
A senior judge is appointed as the marshall and he penalises any judge who breaks the rules. An argument with the marshall can aggravate the penalty.
Some Judges cannot forget the south Indian dishes they had at these lunches. “Home-made payasam , rasam and brown rice of Kerala were the favourites. Even Judges with the sugar problme could not resist the home-made paisam served by a brother judge from the south.They enjoy the time .
