It’s no secret that Latvians are classified as Indo-Europeans. It’s perhaps less known that modern Latvian and Lithuanian are the closest European languages to ancient Sanskrit. For years, perhaps millennia, all other similarities seemed to end there. A world away from the Baltics, most Latvians perceived themselves to be about as close to Indians as they are to the Chinese.
Although Indian food has steadily gained in popularity in Riga over the years and many a local can even handle a spicy vindaloo without losing consciousness, other cultural facets of the sub-continent were ignored for quite some time. That said, we’ve noticed of late that many women have joined gyms for the purpose of attending yoga classes. That’s not really odd given the popularity of yoga in western societies. After all, Sting stands on his head for hours every day and looks like he hasn’t aged for decades.
But the fascination with all things Indian doesn’t end there. Suddenly books having to do with Ayurveda (the science of life) are flying off the shelves of Riga’s bookshops and words and phrases such as ‘chakra’ and ‘downward facing dog’ are being bandied about in cafés as often as one once heard Dolce & Gabanna, BMW or, more recently, the ‘c-word’ – crisis. What’s going on? It’s not that we’re not inclined to revere this ancient culture. We still don’t get the sport of cricket, but we read Vikas Swarup’s Q&A and were very happy when it’s screen adaptation Slumdog Millionaire one a dozen Oscars. We even watch those crazy Bollywood films on occasion.
But for some reason you can’t even drink a cup of Earl Grey without extracting condescending smirks from the enlightened table of women seated next to you. They’re of course enjoying a steaming concoction of ginger, cardamom and a dozen other dried weeds that were no doubt picked by a Vedic scholar in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Only time will tell if Latvian interest in India is a genuine cultural exchange or just a fad enjoyed by bored housewives. If you fall into this category, please don’t be mad at us. We’d hate to be responsible for a chakra closing or some other karmic disaster. Perhaps Latvians are searching for an antidote to the local climate of depression brought about by the nation’s financial woes. Another possibility could be that after years of worshiping international brands at the altar of post-communist consumerism, people have finally decided that life isn’t about what you own. If you’d like to join the movement to gain better health and an affinity for spicy food, start here:

Daya Yoga Stabu 51/2, tel. (+371) 26 55 50 60, www.joga.lv. This yoga studio offers something for everyone: yoga for beginners, for professionals, for pregnant women and for children, a wide variety of massage options, meditation classes and even Indian dance lessons. Open 09:00 - 19:00, Sat 09:00 - 13:00. Closed Sun.
Hanumans Barona 56, tel. (+371) 67 27 24 90. Head down to the cellar of the Hare Krishna house to buy chutney, curry paste, exotic spices and even refrigerated ghee as well as incense, silk scarves and Indian trinkets. Open 10:00 - 19:30, Sun 11:00 - 17:00.
Life Veda Institute of Authentic Ayurveda Barona 56, tel. (+371) 28 81 11 44, www.lifeveda.lv. Traditional Indian massages and treatments performed by certified Ajurvedic doctors and therapists from India.
Restaurants You can try Rama for Indian-style vegetarian at the Krishna House; Indian Tikka House (Paddy Whelan’s) for beer, sports and curries; or Indian Raja for upmarket Indian cuisine.