Christmas Day The Roshni Way

While Christmas is a time of family, friends, presents and prawns for some, it can be a harsh time for others, a reminder of hardship and loneliness.

Six years ago, Raj, Jess and Lily Sharma opened the doors to their restaurant, Roshni Indian Restaurant, to those who had nowhere else to go, starting an annual tradition that hundreds look forward to every year.

Raj said the restaurant moved premises from Ooralea to the city and while business was booming, the economy was not.

“The support I received from people, even though I moved from Ooralea to here, was just phenomenal,” he said.

“We thought, ‘You know what? Mackay’s given us so much, why don’t we just do something for people?’

“There were still so many people out of jobs and a lot of elderly people who were struggling.”

They shared a post on their social media, inviting anyone doing it tough to the restaurant for a free Christmas lunch, to an overwhelming response.

“At the same time, you don’t want to see people, but you do want to see people because all you want as a human being is that everybody does as well as you are and they’re healthy and wealthy,” said Raj.

“The very first year, we saw 60 plus people, and it was sad but at the same time I was happy to cater for them.

“We never looked back and it’s become a tradition, it’s become a culture, that people look forward to every year and we look forward to it as well.”

Over the years, the Christmas lunch has grown, with the Sharma’s welcoming hundreds of people each year, some coming from as far as Moranbah and Clermont to share in the festivities.

“This year with interest rates rising, with the housing crisis, basic necessities are becoming so hard to buy now and people are doing it more tough than they were before,” said Raj.

Raj is asking anyone who is interested in, and in a position to, assist to donate food vouchers from Coles or Woolworths and drop them into the restaurant.

“I think food vouchers will go a long way … so that this whole period of Christmas and new year, they have at least a week or two weeks’ worth of groceries at home that they can feed themselves and look after themselves,” said Raj.

If anyone is interested in volunteering and assisting on the day, Raj asks that you simply rock up and get amongst it.

“If somebody wants to be a part of it and be a volunteer, absolutely!” he said.

“Just rock up and join in.”

The Roshni Indian Restaurant Christmas Lunch is open to anyone who may feel lonely or less fortunate on Christmas Day.

Join in for a free lunch from 11:00am to 1:00pm including ham, prawns, rolls, salad and dessert and Indian delicacies.

“When people come here every year, a lot come as strangers, we see new faces, but when they leave, they leave as family,” said Raj.

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