In the Indian Army, a bada khana, a big meal, is a feast at which officers and soldiers eat together. In June 2025 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh shared a bada khana with soldiers at Udhampur and called it Ekta ka Utsav, a festival of unity. “We are not just soldiers, but a family,” he said.
Writing in Swarajya, Brigadier Ashish Jindal said that “partaking the soldier food and drink is still the essence of badakhana.”