total timepass...

(I was to write this blogpost 4 months ago, but think it has become more relevant now given the recent ‘floods’ in Gurugram:) ) I don’t think this article is going to come as a surprise to anyone. In fact most reactions would be something like - ‘ yeh to hota hi hai ’ or ‘this is how it happens’. But still given that I have been living out of India for quite some time and before that lived a sheltered live in army cantonments, it is still a surprise to me and I don’t think that’s how it should happen! My parents recently moved to a new place in Gurgaon (as it was called then!) and they realised during monsoons one of the side road gets flooded. It has been happening for years with the other residents, but as usual no one bothered to do anything about it. My father went to the local administration office to complain a couple of times. Accordingly the next year they sanctioned couple of crores to build a rain drain next to the road, and elevate the road so that water does not colle...

I have obviously not eaten gol-gappe everywhere in the world to make a statement like the above, but have been enough of a connoisseur all through my life to spot the ones which beat the rest.. And I recently tasted them! Its at Rajouri Garden market in Delhi, in a shop called simply, 'Guptas'. Its a sweet shop but the chat it serves outside beats anything else you may have tasted ever. If you get a chance, you HAVE to go there..! Yummm.. They taste just the right bit of spicy and salty and yummy and light and heavy... You have to eat them to know them! I am getting a high just thinking about those!!

India is a land of festivals, we've all known that since ages. But the realization that these festivals are celebrated differently in different regions of the country is a completely separate discovery, as I did in my recent stay at Mumbai. Some interesting aspects of this, would like to share with you all.. Janamashtami During Janamashtami, the matkis setup everywhere in the city make for interesting viewing. Somehow I had never ever seen Janamashtami being celebrated before, so it was a new discovery for me anyways...Groups of matki-phods traverse the city in trucks, breaking matkis and pocketing the prize money. The earlier you start, the more matkis you can break and the more you earn:). Also during the day, the unconquered matkis are lowered as the day progresses so that breaking it becomes more achievable. The speed with which the matkis are broken is surprising too, you blink and the matki would be gone. Just as a warning, during the day, be careful of th...

Had heard countless times and especially in Bollywood movies, about the paranthe-wali gali in Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi, and always wondered what was so great about it! This time, I finally figured out why actually its so famous and talked about:). It was my first trip to the famed bazaar of old, and it was fun to walk through the myriad gallis of the market, window shopping all kinds of things possible and for extremely unbelievable rates. And in one of such small gallis, next to some saree shops are the two-three parantha shops which give the street its name. The rates are cheap and they give you a full thali, with some sabzis, chutneys and salads. And the paranthe come with various fillings (some very uncommon ones too)! And they taste yummm! You have to once go and eat these for yourself to understand what they are like.. The shops of course at first sight may not be inviting, but once you go past its look, the food tastes like heaven.. try it once for sure:)