WEEKLY MAGAZINE, JANUARY 11, 2015 Free with your copy of Hindustan Times
Standing (L to R): Amaan Ali Khan, Sonam Kalra, Pablo Bartholomew, Tania Sachdev. Sitting (L to R): Feisal Alkazi, Ayaan Ali Khan and Pamela Timms at Agrasen Ki Baoli
Finding Delhi
It is the love for our shehar that unites us all. In this special issue, we celebrate some of the lesser-known reasons that make Delhi such a capital city
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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS
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Yeh Dilli Hai Dilwaalon Ki
The Brunch Book Club
Read
30
books in
by Saudamini Jain
NCH BOO K RU Jan11 2015
CH
E
by Satarupa Paul
B
Brunch Opinion
ALL E N
G
2015
PART- 2
LAST YEAR, WE CHALLENGED YOU TO READ 24 BOOKS. WE’VE UPPED THE ANTE BY SIX. IT’S TIME TO READ MORE
ch at Agrasen Ki Baoli Diliwallahs all: the cover bunch and Brun Delhi. A city with many histories, many cultures. A city that has spawned a million talents. A city that we know like the back of our hands. Or so we thought. We set out to explore the city beyond its obvious (but wonderful) attractions. We found some secrets: curious places hidden in plain sight and things to do that few know about. And so, after weeks of walking all over the Capital asking for directions on the way, we’ve put together an eclectic list of quintessentially Delhi experiences in our beloved shehar. As for the cover, we knew we had to shoot it at Agrasen Ki Baoli, the architectural wonder surrounded by the high rises of Connaught Place. This hidden step-well – believed to have been built during the time of the Mahabharat by Raja Agrasen, and then rebuilt in the 14th century – is one of Delhi’s better-known “secrets”. Rather, was. It’s now famous because it’s where Aamir Khan lived in PK. We invited people who reflected the spirit of the city. It had to be those who called Delhi home, or those who had claimed it as their own. It had to be the Dilliwallahs we’re proud of:
Theatre director Feisal Alkazi, whose family has had a pioneering influence on the nascent post-Independence theatre scene in Delhi. He has carried the baton forward with his Ruchika Theatre Group for over 40 years now. Expat writer Pamela Timms whose blog (Eat and Dust) and book (Korma, Kheer & Kismet) explore the wonderful food of Old Delhi. The formidable photojournalist Pablo Bartholomew, who won a World Press Photo award at the age of 19, and whose work has been featured in several international publications. Sonam Kalra, the voice and brain behind the Sufi Gospel Project that blends traditional gospel music and hymns with Sufi poetry. Classical musician brother duo Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan, sons of the great Amjad Ali Khan, who play the sarod. Chess player Tania Sachdev who holds the titles of International Master and Woman Grandmaster. It was quite something, to spend a cold Monday morning with musicians, a writer, a photographer, a sportsperson and a theatre personality who, for their part, were so very excited to be part of what makes this city ‘Delhi’.
Stuff You Said Last Sunday It was wonderful to read the piece. It’s great to see a different narrative of J&K emerge in the mainstream. - @Neha Deliberates The best sports Jammu and Kash article I have read for ages. where people ha mir defies all logic. A heaven ve the spirit and ca been through hell. Long Live The politicians nemaraderie among the players. ed to manage differ to learn a lesson as to how Kashmir. Way to ent aspirations of Jammu & go JnK, go and – Intelligent Indianwin the Ranji ..!!
Your coverage of the rise of J&K cricket team is praiseworth y. What deserves great accolades is the Ram and Rasool join photograph of ed the decade. What Ra in the hug of m Rasool is to Islam, and is to Hindus, if the twain meet, it should be an eye opener to the zealots . Instead of creating breaches, they would do well to to preser ve the kaleidoscope of our country. Long live Ra mRasool hug for millen nia and beyond. – KL Ka ul
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What could’ve been a better start of the year with cover story on Cricket that too from Kashmir ! Great Work Guys ! Well done ! – @drPrashaant
WHAT: Read 30 books in 2015. And anything you like – a bestseller or something obscure, self-help guides or graphic novels, real books, e-books or just listen to audiobooks. WHY: Because everybody always wants to be able to read more. Because reading is good for you. Because now is a good time to start. Because this is a new year resolution we’ll help you keep. Because we promise to recommend books – and send you some too. And
because we’ll organise readings and meetings with your favourite writers. WHERE: Twitter. Facebook. Instagram. HOW: Make sure you tag @HTBrunch (on Twitter and/or Instagram) or Hindustan Times Brunch (on Facebook) hashtagging #BrunchBookChallenge and keep us posted. Tell us what you’re reading, what you liked and what you didn’t. Quote your favourite books. Post reading-related photos. Join in already. Read more.
On The Brunch Radar
LOVE IT
n “Hai koi paani jo chadti hai whisky ke bina?” Can’t wait to watch Amitabh in Shamitabh.Still so hot. n Soupy noodles for dinner every single production night at Brunch n Reading about Virginia Woolf n Middle finger on national television n Then and Now family photographs
by Saudamini Jain
n Emails with attachments but without body-text n That movie trailers all look so slick, but tell you nothing about the film! n People who Instagram their faces till they’re unrecognisable n If you live in a house without any books n That Ancient India is no longer a historical period.
Cover photo: RAJ K RAJ
Cover design: MONICA GUPTA EDITORIAL: Poonam Saxena (Editor), Aasheesh Sharma, Rachel Lopez, Aastha Atray Banan, Veenu Singh, Satarupa Paul, Saudamini Jain, Asad Ali, Nihit Bhave, Atisha Jain DESIGN: Ashutosh Sapru (National Editor, Design), Monica Gupta, Payal Dighe Karkhanis, Ajay Aggarwal Drop us a line at: brunchletters@hindustantimes.com or to 18-20 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001
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COVER STORY
N I Y L N O
ntial li e s s il te Quin d yet a D r the e an Dilli, n slip und terest. ca ar in l u p that f po o r a eam t rad h c their n f u o r B slice not The a s r ve t’s disco d city tha ose th ve belo erved to s k! often not see do who
I L L I D
#1 D
Photos: AVINASH PASR
ICHA
GO FOR A PRIVATE TRADITIONAL MUSIC BAITHAK
elhi is known for its ‘internal’ life. Some of the best evenings you can have in the city are in people’s homes. Dilliwallas are famed for their warm, generous hospitality. Couple this with a passion for music and you have the makings of a perfect evening – a traditional Indian music baithak. Entrepreneur Vinod S Kapur is one such music patron. He’s been hosting the superstars of Hindustani classical singing for more than three decades. One doesn’t need to understand Indian classical music to experience its pleasure, says the octogenarian. “We can’t make the audience feel like nincompoops and tell them that they shouldn’t come to listen to classical music if they don’t understand its intricacies. Joy doesn’t require to be understood. Anand ko samajhne ke liye buddhi ki zarurat nahin hai. Anand ek anubhav hai,” says Kapur. According to Kapur, who has been hosting musical soirees at his residence since 1973, under-
Baithaks at
Vinod S Ka standing music is best left of Hi ndustani classic pur’s home. He has been host in al music for mor for critics and students. e than three deca g superstars des At his baithaks that have hosted names such as Prabha Atre, Girija Devi, Rajan-Sajan introduced Mishra, Channulal to the Capital’s music conMishra, the late Shobha noisseurs courtesy Kapur’s Gurtu and Shubha baithaks, sang for so long Mudgal, the ambience is that he almost collapsed. that of chamber music Kapur also cites the occabeing played in a drawing sion when Parveen Sultana, room. “A critical part of the legendary khayal singer, organising a baithak is a was invited to a baithak at sense of intimacy and comhis residence in the 1990s. munication,” elaborates She sang into the night the 80-year-old founder of and the very next day, she poultry brand Keggfarms. the India had to perform at the Shankar Lal “At our baithaks, an arthead of the Western India Festival. One of the festival orist performs in an intimate and Match Company, he has been beganisers remarked that Sultana’s relaxed ambience, surrounded by witched by the magic of Hindussinging had been much better at an audience that responds spontani classical music. “Girija ji was the baithak. taneously to music. It bridges the the first artiste who accepted my “Look at the atmosphere distance that a stage puts between invitation to sing. Since then I’ve that they create. A concert can the performer and the audience.” hosted hundreds of baithaks, first never match the ambience of their Since 1967, when Kapur first at my Gulmohar Park residence baithak,” was her retort. heard a young Girija Devi captiand later at my residence-cumThe baithaks are open for everyvate listeners with an open-air office near Gurgaon,” says Kapur. body. To wangle an invitation, call performance near Bareilly, Uttar On one of these occasions, PanAparna on 09891192590 Pradesh, where he was posted as dit Channulal Mishra, who was –Aasheesh Sharma JANUARY 11, 2015
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FOLLOW THE SCENT OF THE OTHER SUFI
#3
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SPEAKEASY
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Madani lay dying, he told Inayat Khan to go West and spread the Sufi message. And Inayat Khan did as told. He started “The Sufi Order in the West” (now called the Sufi Order International in New York, which has centres across the world) in the early 20th century. And was was conferred the title of ‘Tansen’ by the Nizam of Hyderabad. Visit this place on a Friday evening to witness traditional qawwals who sing there (often headed by Meraj Ahmed Nizami and Chand Nizami, who have been singing at the Nizamuddin dargah for years).Within the dargah premises is the Sufi Inayat Khan Music Academy, whose overall operation is headed by art historian Dr Farida Ali. If you have enough time to invest, you can also learn Hindustani classical music and even qawwali. The Academy provides all the facilities though the fees need to be discussed personally with the qawwals concerned. Ali says that it’s usually about `500 for four classes. Classes in the art of Urdu calligraphy, which is becoming increasingly rare, are also offered. So if you can sing slightly better than your next-door bathroom rockstar, then try your hand, or rather vocal chords, at qawwali. At the very least you can boast of having attempted to learn an almost 750-year-old musii al w nal qaw there is a traditio an Dargah cal tradition! g, in en ev ay id Fr Kh Every zrat Inayat –Asad Ali rformance at Ha I
hen asked where the dargah of Hazrat Inayat Khan was located, the man, grilling what looked like a succulent seekh kebab, replied without looking up: “Woh cheel ke paas hai.” Weaving through the folds of Nizamuddin’s bustling alleys is an experience in itself. The neighbourhood is an explosion of aromas, colours and sounds that can get overwhelming for the senses. We all know that Nizamuddin is home to the dargah of Nizamuddin Auliya, Delhi’s bestknown Sufi saint. But, close by, also lies the much quieter dargah of another globally renowned Sufi proponent, Hazrat Inayat Khan. Outside the entrance to his dargah hangs a pair of metalwrought cheel or kite’s wings with a heart in between – a symbol of Sufism. Inayat Khan (1882-1927) was born into a family of musicians. He developed an interest in Sufism very early in life, and found a teacher in Sayyed Muhammad Abu Hashim Madani, who was a member of the Chishti Sufi Order himself. It’s said that as
pe
Photo: ARMAN
ALI REZA DEHLV
So many cultural events in the city are still little-known outside the respective circles. The Urs festival, held on February 5 at the Dargah of Inayat Khan, is a lovely multi-faith offering of music, dance and poetry. And Shadaj, a music heritage society, has been organising baithaks (previously in people’s homes, now at the Mantra Amaltas hotel in Friends Colony) for 15 years now. Sonam Kalra, singer
You need a passcode to enter Cocktails and Dreams in Gurgaon, one of the three secret pubs in Delhi-NCR
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ould you tell me where PCO is?” I enquire of a paanwallah at Vasant Vihar’s D block market. He looks at me incredulously. I explain, “Not phone wala PCO but a secret pub type place.” He laughs heartily and points to a glass door. I realise I’d walked past it several times but missed it. There was no signboard! Inside is a small cubicle with a solitary phone box. I dial the code I’d received on Whatsapp, a door slides open and quite like magic, I am transported to Prohibition era America. This is one of Delhi NCR’s three secret watering holes. During Prohibition in the US that lasted from 1920 to 1933, the sale, production, and transportation of alcoholic beverages was banned. As a consequence, establishments called speakeasies came into existence – hidden saloons or nightclubs that illegally sold alcohol; these had disguised entrances, a secret password could get you access and patrons had to “speak easy”, lest they attracted the attention of law enforcers. PCO in Vasant Vihar borrows from the speakeasy concept and is fashionably fashioned after a 1920s’ jazz bar. It looks straight out of a Great Gatsby set with bookshelves, cigar lounges, high back chairs et al. The food menu is simple but you can find some old treasures among the cocktails.
Cocktails are specialties at speakeasies
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he Sector 15 community shopping complex in Gurgaon is deserted by the time we reach around 8pm. That’s why we could spot the simple sign of Cocktails and Dreams and the nondescript building it’s housed in. I knock on the door three times (the entry
JANUARY 11, 2015
code), and am welcomed by a uniformed guard into a dingy, vacant room – ah the deception of a speakeasy! Soft jazz emanates from the basement and sure enough, there it is down a flight of stairs – a cosy, neighbourhood bar modelled after the typical speakeasies of the Prohibition era. “The idea was to have a small local, which not many people would know about, where we’d make friends with our customers and they’d make new friends with each other,” says Minakshi Singh, the owner. The highlight of this speakeasy are definitely the cocktails – from old classics to new age straights – that Yangdup Lama, co-owner and star bartender, rustles up. The excitement of visiting this obscure little place, other than the speakeasy concept, is the customised cocktails. “Whisky for me, please,” I tell Lama when he asks for my preferred base drink. He flashes me a twinkly-eyed smile and serves me a surprise: a Twisted Old Fashioned, that is, an Old Fashioned (bourbon, sugar and bitters) with Lama’s secret twist, custom-made for me! We’ve found two of the three secret speakeasies in Delhi NCR for you. Let’s see if you can find the third! Hint: It’s in Mehrauli and it’s named after a cocktail. –Satarupa Paul
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COVER STORY
TASTE THIS NOT SO USUAL ‘CHAAT’
Photo: SANJEEV
VERMA
#4
Daulat ki chaat is a delic only in the mon ious dessert that you get ths between Diw ali and Holi
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aulat ki chaat?!” asked my bewildered colleague. “What’s that?” A ‘true’ Delhiite who claims to know the city like the back of her hand, she is confident that there is no such ‘chaat’. This is before I take her to the chaotic galis of Chandni Chowk to discover this magnificent delicacy that is winter’s gift to any passionate foodie. We manoeuvre our way through the human and animal traffic, greeted by hawkers selling bread and mirchi pakoras; paan leaves garnished with gulkand, sauf, cardamom and cherries, and of course, hot, steaming shakarkandi. Then there are shops selling shimmery, flashy, almost blinding wedding trous-
seaus that line the street. I lead my friend to a vendor balancing a big khomcha, half full with a white something (what is it? Frothy cotton? A creamy cloud?) with a dash of bright saffron and silver vark. “I thought you said ‘chaat’,” she says. Daulat ki chaat is a delicious dessert that you get only in the months between Diwali and Holi. The vendor, Rakesh Kumar, explains that the chaat is prepared during chilly winter nights when milk and cream are patiently whisked together for hours and the froth is made to settle by the dawn dew. I ask for a small dona of daulat ki chat. For `20, the vendor deftly takes out a scoop, and sprinkles it with bura (powdered sugar) and crumbled khoya. It’s like a puff of snow – it melts in the mouth instantly, leaving behind a subtle, sweet aftertaste. And you thought the ‘moonlit square’ of Shahjahanabad was only about crowded lanes, sumptuous mutton and mouthwatering jalebis? –Atisha Jain
The shrines of the great Sufi saints Hazrat Amir Khusro and Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, though well-known, are still my favourite places to visit when I’m in the city. Also, there are so many open air concerts at great settings happening all year round that not many people know about.
Ayaan Ali Khan, sarod player
#6 TAKE AWAY FLAVOURS OF OLD DELHI
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edmi aloo is a perfect breakfast. The deep fried, crisp balls of dough (sort of like its halfbreed cousin, the puri – but so much more) served with fiery aloo sabzi, and often spicy mashed pumpkin are cooked in more ghee than you’d like to know about. It is the pride of the vegetarian communities (the Jains and the banias) of Chandni Chowk.
You need to go to Kedara for the best bedmi aloo masala Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK
I love to have tea in one of the tiny galis off Kinari Bazaar in Old Delhi. Another special place there is Gali Kazanchi in Dariba Kalan. At its far end is what remains of Haveli Kazanchi, where Shah Jahan’s accountants lived! There’s a tunnel too, connecting the haveli to the Red Fort, along which, presumably, imperial fortunes were conveyed. Pamela Timms, author
#5
GO THE WHOLE HOG ON A SILVER PLATTER
stuffed goat at You can order a full andni Chowk Karim’s in Ch
Photo: RAJ K RAJ
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ou may wonder what Karim’s is doing in a Brunch story on obscure, off-beat places and experiences in Delhi. After all, every meat-loving Delhiite has been to Karim’s at least once, and it’s a permanent fixture on every tourist’s itinerary. We have all, at some point, meandered our way through the galis of Purani Dilli to visit this over hundred-year-old institution and feasted on their world-famous mutton burras and murg Afghanis. Why then are we talking about it here again, you ask? Because there is always something unique, little-
Getting the dough right for the bedmi is an art. But even a passable bedmi can work if you get the aloo right. So here’s a tip. In Kinari Bazaar, where you’d otherwise head only for trousseau shopping, is Kedara, which sells special packaged masalas. This little shop is an open secret. It’s been around since the 1920s, says Ajay Gupta, the 38-yearold owner. It was originally a regular kiraana store, specialising in churans. “We were a family of vaids from Uttar Pradesh, my grandfather started this shop,” he says, adding, “Herbs and
known to be discovered even in the most well-known of places. In Karim’s case, it’s their Tandoori Bakra. A full goat stuffed with pieces of chicken, eggs and rice, and roasted to juicy, melt-inthe-mouth perfection. Priced at `7,500, the dish needs to be ordered a day in advance for – depending on your appetite – a group of 8-10 people. So next time you’re up for a culinary adventure, this complete meal served on a silver platter could be a great new experience to be enjoyed with friends. – Satarupa Paul
spices run in our blood.” They sell all sorts of masalas, plain spices and those mixed up for all kinds of dishes. But are best known for capturing the soul of Purani Dilli’s street food in little boxes. Get the kaala chaat masala (for aloo chaat, fruit chat and kullas, those little boiled potato baskets), dahi bhalla masala, channa masala and of course bedmi aloo ka masala. For as long as I can remember, my mother who grew up in the walled city, has been handing these out to friends. Really, it’s all you need. –Saudamini Jain
JAIN Photo: ATISHA
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COVER STORY The one place that I really find interesting is the Rajon Ki Baoli in Mehrauli, which you enter from the Jamali Kamali tomb. It’s fabulous, but not many people go there. It would be great if it was developed as a performance space. The dance festival Ananya, that Sahej does every year at Purana Quila, is also very interesting because it is set against the backdrop of the fort. Feisal Alkazi, theatre director
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LISTEN TO A MUSHAIRA ON A SPRING EVENING
ne of the singular attractions of Delhi in spring is attending a mushaira when there’s a nip in the air and a couplet on your lips. The city, for long the playground of such extraordinary sukhanwars as Mirza Assadullah Khan Ghalib, Sheikh Mohammed Ibrahim Zauq and Momin Khan Momin, has an enduring legacy of shamas being lit during night-long soirees where the greatest of poets recited their verses. It reached its zenith during the first half of the 19th century, during the heyday of the Indo-Islamic Ganga Jamni syncretic tradition. After Independence, even as the subcontinent was splintered, the ethos of poetry continued. Even as connoisseurs in India quoted Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s couplets, the greatest of Pakistan’s ghazal singers couldn’t stop raving about the andaz-e-bayan of Ghalib’s deewan. One of the oldest mushairas in the city that has an exalted muqaam among the poets of the subcontinent is the Shankar-Shad Mushaira, started in 1953 by Murli
har the Jashn-e-Ba Javed Akhtar at attracts around 5,000 mushaira, which alks of life w people from all
Dhar Shriram, the founder of DCM Industries, who wrote Urdu poetry under the nom-de-plume Shad. The annual get-together, which generally takes place in March, is hosted at Delhi’s Modern School at Barakhamba Road. Lucknow-based poet Anwar Jalalpuri says, for the exponents of poetry, reciting their work at the Shankar-Shad mushaira means you go up a few notches in the eyes of your contemporaries. “That is because they’ve never compromised on the standards of their poetry. The tawwajoh (focus) is on the quality of poetry and not on tarannum (singing your verses). Also, some of the most celebrated poets from Pakistan – such as Himayat Ali Shair, Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui and the late glamorous Pakistani poetess Parveen Shakir – have made an effort to be here,” adds Jalalpuri. Another city mushaira that has been attracting popular poets such as Ali Sardar Jafri, Kaifi Azmi, Javed Akhtar and Nida Fazli to the Capital for the past decadeand-a-half is the Jashn-e-Bahar Mushaira started in 1999. “Every year, on the first Friday of April, the mushaira attracts around 5,000 people from all walks of life,” says founder Kamna Prasad. “The mayar (high standard) of the mushaira attracts both the khawas-o-awaam (the connoisseur) and the commoner,” she adds. In 2001, the late maverick painter MF Husain even painted the backdrop for the mushaira in a matter of minutes. Both the Shankar-Shad Mushaira and the Jashn-E-Bahar Mushaira are open to lovers of Urdu poetry. Look out for newspaper announcements and information on where passes can be collected. –Aasheesh Sharma
JANUARY 11, 2015
#8 H
VISIT THE AFTER WORLD OF HIJRAS
ijron ka khanqah?” the man on the cycle looks at me quizzically. I have been wandering around the Mehrauli market for the past one hour trying to locate it. But none of the shopkeepers or residents seem to know anything about it. Just when I am about to give up, an old man sitting behind a pan shop gives directions. Sandwiched between hardware and electronic shops, the khanqah is easy to miss. I walk through an entrance in the green iron grille, up a narrow flight of stairs. The hullabaloo of the bazaar fades away. It’s serene, peaceful and beautiful inside. The khanqah has 49 whitewashed graves. But these are no ordinary graves. Forty-nine
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hijras (or eunuchs) of Delhi were buried here back in the 15th century during the Lodi period. In the corner, shaded by a neem tree, stands the main tomb, beautifully decorated with tiles. “This is the tomb of Miyan Saheb, the eldest hijra of them all,” says the Hindu caretaker who has been looking after the khanqah for almost 30 years now. According to him, Miyan Saheb was the moohboli sister of Sufi saint, Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki (a favorite of the Lodi dynasty). And that is why he gifted this place to Miyan Saheb and the hijra community. Today the khanqah is owned and maintained by the hijras of Delhi’s Turkman Gate. They still
WEAVE WORDS THE DASTANGOI WAY
f you nurture hopes of being led by Farooqui, help to acquaint a raconteur professioneveryone with the tradition of ally, then learning the art dastans, the discipline of the of dastangoi should definitely form as practised today, and be on your bucket list. A 16th introduce the texts that has tradicentury form of Urdu storytelltionally been performed,” says ing, dastangoi has seen a major Chadha. surge in popularity in contempoAlthough prior knowledge of rary times owing to the efforts of Urdu is not required, one must important literary figures such know Hindi. There is no formal as Shamsur Rahman Farooqui. age limit. Chadha himself was His nephew, Mahmood Farooqui, just 22 when he started out – the now handles the mantle of youngest participant in that keeping the art form alive. So second edition of the workshops if you’re in Delhi and feel that held in 2010. More recently, the you have what it takes to keep an Dastangoi group trained two audience enthralled, get in touch youngsters from Nizamuddin with Farooqui and his band of basti, under a project supported dastangos. Ankit Chadha, associby Aga Khan Trust for Culture. ated with Farooqui’s Dastangoi One of them, Affaan, is just 13 group says that they organise years old! So if you’re interested, workshops which are especially check out the group’s workshop beneficial for those keen on takdates and learn how to tell a good ing up the art form seriously. The story. workshops have also been held –Asad Ali in Mumbai and Lucknow, re but they are primarily orkshops a Dastangoi w days long conducted in Delhi. e re usually th “Typically, we select up to 20 participants for the workshops, which are usually three days long. The sessions which are
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passes m the community When an elder fro s of Delhi congregate at away, the eunuchKa Khanqah in Mehrauli the Hijron come here on religious occasions to feast, to celebrate or to just get together during the week. It’s like a spiritual retreat for them. However, no fresh burials are made here, he clarifies. The walls around the courtyard are tinted yellow with hand prints. I ask about them and the caretaker explains, “When an elder from the community passes away, the eunuchs of Delhi congregate here to pay respect to the deceased soul. Woh nek karte hain, chawal rangte hai. And hence, these hand prints. They come here and distribute food to the poor.” –Atisha Jain
I love the lovely green trails in Mehrauli Archaeological Park, where I go for walks sometimes. Another such place is the Asola Sanctuary, near Tughlaqabad. Beside a nature trail, the sanctuary also has a few freshwater lakes. They’re so pristine and the green cover here too is amazing! Tanya Sachdev, chess player
THE LESSER #10 EXPLORE KNOWN BAOLIS
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Photo: ATISHA JA
IN t is a sanctuary of solitude, barring the cooing of pigeons echoing off the stone walls. The wide stone steps seem endless, punctuated with landings. They taper down at the bottom to meet the well, or what’s left of it. No, this is not the Agrasen Ki Baoli The Rajon Ki Ba oli in M (that now-famous baoli is a baol i for kings, but fo ehrauli was not r masons on our cover). This is the lesserknown Rajon Ki Baoli in the lush baolis; the number has Mehrauli Archaelogical Park. But shrunk to about 15. it was never a baoli for kings. Built A few metres away is the by Daulat Khan in the 1500s during comparatively plainer Gandhak the reign of Sikandar Lodi, it was Ki Baoli. It is said that the water meant to be used by masons (or rahere used to smell of sulphur, thus jmistris), hence the name ‘Rajon’. the name ‘gandhak’. Apart from The 66 steps that lead to the Agrasen Ki Baoli located amidst well (now full of muck and plastic Connaught Place’s high rises, and waste) are flanked by three levels Hazrat Nizamuddin’s baoli (with of chambers with ornate arches. an active underground spring) It was a favourite venue for social where you might have seen boys gatherings and an escape from the diving into the well, there’s one scorching summer heat. You have each in Puraana Qila and Lal Qila. to climb to the top of the roof to The sun is shining. But there is take in its full grandeur. a nip in the air. The well is empty. Baolis, or stepwells, were built As are the premises. But it is all to collect rainwater, to be used all very grand. I can’t wait to be back year. Now most baolis have dried in the summer. up. Delhi once had more than 100 –Atisha Jain
JANUARY 11, 2015
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BOOK A DAY OR TWO FOR BOOKSHOPPING
he habit of going to bookstores is dying. You can buy an e-book on your Kindle or order whatever you want online. Chain bookstores in malls only stock bestsellers and self-help, and can turn anybody off. So I decided to find bookstores that would bring back that thrill of discovering a book that looks like it can change your life. Or just make you happy to be there – looking at rows and rows of books, beautiful, magical books. You’ll find all this in Paharganj. This muddy, crowded market is a mix of hippie and hipster and the hoi polloi. And so you’ll find everything here – leather bags, junk jewellery, good food, great music, drugs. And books. As you walk through the Main Bazaar, you’ll find cafés that double up as bookstores. Looks Beauty Parlour houses old (and new) books and trippy music on the ground floor. Imagine trying to choose between Alan Hollinghurst and Jack Kerouac, all the while listening to some kind of ‘temple’ trance. The best in the area, though, is Jackson’s Bookstore for the sheer number of books neatly arranged in this small space – you can’t always get what you want,
People find it surprising to see me sitting in a quiet corner of a small little cafe, reading a book on my own. Places like Summer Café in Hauz Khas Village and Café Turtle in Khan Market with its little bookstore downstairs are perfect hideouts, a world apart from the hustle and bustle around them. I also like the speakeasy PCO for the simple reason that not many people know about it.
Amaan Ali Khan, sarod player
but you will get what you need. You will find books that are fashionable to read – Elena Ferrante and Milan Kundera and Julian Barnes; several versions of the Kamasutra, books on all kinds of yoga, Hindu spirituality and Jackson’s Book Indian mysticism; many, many st stacks of ‘fashio ore in Paharganj has books in Hebrew; and travel nable’ books guides (especially Lonely Planet for different countries, in different languages and from different years). You can exchange your old books here. And because this is where so many travellers and backpackers stay, the books are constantly replenished – foreign imprints, so covers you’ve never seen before. You can own the books for half the MRP plus some discount, if you ask nicely. They also have unused books, ones that spent a while in other bookstores or with distributors but you’ll get them at store price. But has you can get these old-new books op in South Ex-I Timeless booksh ge on cheaper at Nehru Place. Opposite a un a bed you can lo Bank of Baroda in this ‘computer unspoilt but the pages market’ is Nanda Book Service. It’s are yellowing. You’ll find Chetan not impressive from the outside – Bhagat next to VS Naipaul. And with a display of colouring books, deeper into the store, the unlikelieducational titles etc – but just two est of books. Kiran Nagarkar’s steps inside and you’ll find a table Cuckold for `250. And Simone de covered with books, all for `150. Beauvoir’s The Second Sex for the They look unused, the covers are
THROUGH #12 WALK TIME AND TOMBS
Photos: SAUDAMINI JAIN
same price. Less than half of what you’d pay elsewhere. And you can bargain. Climb up to the loft above for hidden gems. And if you’re looking for coffee table books. No, scratch that. If you’re looking for the most beautiful bookstore in the city, head to Timeless Bookstore in South Extension. Get to the Part-1 market, and follow Google Maps, it’s the only way to get there. We love the place because apart from books, it also houses a bed you can lounge on – it’s where most people read anyway. If you have kids, climb up to the Teksons on the floor above. It’s a wholesale store, with a flat 25 per cent off on everything – and filled with children’s books. Go book shopping! I hadn’t realised how much I had missed it. –Saudamini Jain
I REZA DEHLVI
AL Photo: ARMAN
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he Mehrauli Archeological Park is one of my favourite walks in Delhi. The park covers some important landmarks in Indian history and here, one discovers tombs, stepwells and other archeological remains – from the period of the Delhi Sultanate to the British era. Exploring the area is fun and easy as most monuments have signages. I love walking from the flower market entrance right up to Khwaja Qutub’s dargah. Along this path lies the impressive sixteenth century stepwell ‘ Rajon ki Baoli’, used by masons in the Lodhi era. It’s a long walk, part of which is a dirt road littered with Lodhi tombs. It ends at the spectacular step well of Iltutmish, a hundred
JANUARY 11, 2015
yards from the main entrance of Khwaja Qutub’s dargah. Shaykh Jamali is buried near the beautiful mosque he are inscribed on built in 1528 AD Jamali’s verses ausoleum m s close to Hauz the walls of hi e Shamsi. His tomb of Jamali. mausoleum is Jamali’s mausoleum, a decorated with beautiful ceramic protected monument under the work with some verses composed ASI, is kept locked most of the by him inscribed on the walls. time. The government appointed This village, now known as Jamali caretaker who has custody of the Kamali is perhaps as old as the keys is usually around during the fort of Rai Pithora. The forecourt days, unlocking the dargah for the of the mosque contains several occasional visitor. graves and the ruins of Balban’s – Sadia Dehlvi, a Delhitomb lie around 300 yards from the based author and journalist.
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Dzükou Tribal Kitchen (Hauz Khas) and Gharua Exaj (Lajpat Nagar-4) are two North East eateries, which are hidden gems. The first serves homestyle Naga food with home-brewed rice beer; the latter has Assamese food, with some good vegetarian dishes like aloo pitika (mashed potatoes) and fried brinjal. Pablo Bartholomew, photographer
THE PAINTINGS #13 TRAIL ON THE WALLS
an ss Nadira covers A portrait of actre ilding in Shahpur Jat entire wall of a bu
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egulars at Hauz Khas Village may have noticed a giant green creature sprawled across the entire wall of the building neighbouring Part of the Naivedyam. Then there’s the 968m long mural at Tih giant bull-bear-monkey thing ar Jail overlooking the parking lot. But go transformed deeper into the Village and you’ll is the largest prison comfind much more. And Hauz Khas plex in South Asia – Tihar Jail. Its Village isn’t the only one. boundary wall features the longest In another neighbouring urban mural in India: 14 local signboard village, the hip hub of Shahpur painters collaborated with 13 InJat, wall after wall of homes, galdian and three international street leries, restaurants, and streets are artists to paint 968 metres of the adorned with stunning street art. wall with verses of a poem called Most of them were done as part of Chardiwari, written by an inmate the St-ART Festival held last year, of the jail. which brought together some of The Delhi street art scene the best Indian and international is buzzing; whether it is legal street artists. “The urban village projects like those done under the of Shahpur Jat provides a lot of St ART Festival or illegal graffiti contrast to the rest of Delhi,” says that Daku, Pyaaj, Bond and so Hanif Kureshi, the man behind the many other graffiti writers leave festival and a well-known street across walls in the city as a sign of artist himself. “Doing street art creativity and freedom of expresin this location brought art to a sion. We recommend taking a walk different set of audience, who may through Shahpur Jat, Hauz Khas not have interacted with art at all Village, Khirkee, Sheikh Sarai or before. We literally transformed a around the Tihar Jail complex small village into a walking to feast your eyes on some of the art gallery.” most stunning street art in Delhi. Another place that has been –Satarupa Paul
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Street Food NatioN
Indian street food is more than just chaat. And the recent Street Food Festival in Delhi was a great place to sample its diversity
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ACH TIME I go to the Street Food Festival, organised every winter in Delhi by the National Association of Street Vendors of India, I am struck by how much the food of the streets reflects a changing India. Street food means a little more than chaat. To us in the middle classes, street food is about snacking: golgappas, bhelpuri, pao bhaji, mutton rolls, etc. But for those who do not belong to the middle classes, street food is about sustenance. Most street-food vendors cater to labourers, dailywage earners and people in the not-so-organised sectors, who are too poor to afford to eat at dhabas. So the cuisine they serve on the streets is usually vegetarian (or if it is non-veg, then the meat component is kept to a minimum), low-cost and packed with calories. Each year at the Street Food Festival, the Delhi middle classes turn up in the thousands (around 40,000 visitors this year, I reckon) and always look vaguely disappointed to find that it is not all channa-bhatura or papri-chaat. They are always taken aback by the Malayalis, still starry-eyed about visiting Delhi, who want them to eat pulao made from an unfamiliar strand of rice, or the Bengalis who try and explain that a chop is a potato cutlet with a centre of keema. (It does not help when the Bongs put up signs outside their stall advertising “Oil-Fried Chop”.) But that’s why I love the festival. It allows us to try the kind of street food we would normally never eat (even when we travel, we rarely go and eat at stalls near building Photo: HT PHOTOS
Vir Sanghvi
rude food WAR OF CHAATWALLAHS
The Benarsis dismissed the golgappas and Daulat Ki Chaat (below) of their Delhi counterparts as rubbish
sites or factories). And because the National Association of Street Vendors of India emphasises cleanliness, the health risks are minimised. This year’s Festival was bigger and better than ever before. Sangeeta Singh, my contact at the Association who is in charge of the food vendors section, explained to me that they made a conscious attempt to locate the best vendors in each region and to bring them to Delhi. As far as I could tell, every stall did well but there was a clear North-South divide. Dilliwallas liked the North Indian food more and the biggest queues were outside the Lucknow stalls (kebabs, pulao, etc) and the Amritsar guys (channa, rajma-chawal etc) Even the Delhi stall attracted crowds, though most of us could eat that food every day. I went to the Festival twice and the highlights for me were the conPhoto: HT PHOTOS
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versations I had with the stall-holders. Not only were they excited to be part of the festival, they took so much pride in their food and their craft that it was hard not to be impressed by their enthusiasm. Some ladies from Warangal looked downcast that nobody had heard of their district or their food and only brightened when I told them that I knew it as Narasimha Rao’s area. The guys from Palakkad spent a lot of time explaining to everyone that they were Malayalis not Tamils. And when I said that I understood the TamilMalayali balance in Palakkad, they got excited and began speaking to me in Malayalam, either because they thought that in faraway Delhi only a Malayali would have heard of Palakkad or because I enjoyed their food so much that they thought I must have a palate trained in Kerala. Even the North Indians took my breath away with the passion they demonstrated for their cuisine. I love UP chaat, which is roughly one million times better than Delhi chaat, so I gravitated to the Benaras stall where the tomato chaat was to die for. When the guy who ran the stall realised that I knew the food of Benaras a little, he would not let me go. I had to try the jalebis, the moong dal kheer, the laddus, and nearly everything else. We both agreed that Delhi chaat was very mediocre, and the Benarsis were still upset at not being allowed to serve their golgappas. Sangeeta and her colleagues at the Association had told them that there was no novelty to golgappas in Delhi so why didn’t they serve something more unusual? “It is not the same thing at all,” the Benaras guy fumed, “their golgappas are useless. So is their mithai. I’ve brought my own ghee from Benaras. Next time, I will bring a malaiyonwallah to show them what rubbish their Daulat Ki Chaat is.” I have to say that I agreed with him.
In the UP section, they gave me a bowl of outstanding khichda (Dilliwallas were ignoring the stall thinking it was khichdi) to which they had added (along with all the trimmings), cubes of fried paneer. I asked the stall-wallah where he was from and he said Etawah. I told him I’d been to Etawah but had never heard of paneer in khichda. Bit by bit, the truth tumbled out. Two years ago, when times got tough and they had to reduce the meat content of the khichda, they started adding paneer for texture. And even I, who loathes paneer, had to admit that it worked as a texture modifier. I went to the MP section next, where the guys from Jabalpur made me try their local speciality, a sort of pattyless hamburger called a dabeli. The secret of the dish, they told me, was the masala which had 208 ingredients, many of which were not available in Delhi. It was nice, with onion, sev and peanuts to give it a satisfying crunch. I asked to meet the guy who had actually made it and a Mr Patel
BORROWED SPECIALITY
The Madhya Pradesh section had a dabeli (patty-less burger) with a masala made of 208 ingredients, which originated in Kutch in the ’60s
Photo: VIR SANGHVI
THE REAL TASTE OF INDIA
Around 40,000 people thronged the Street Food Festival this year. Held every winter in Delhi, it is a great way to try the kind of street food we would normally never eat
arrived. Like two Gujaratis far from home, we quickly got talking and Mr Patel told me that the secret of his dabeli was his unwillingness to use potatoes and the special mix of masala. I tweeted a photo of the dabeli and was then thoroughly humiliated on Twitter by people who pointed out that a) it was a Gujarati dish, b) that you got it all over Bombay and c) it was so well-known that it even had a Wikipedia page. How ignorant was I that I’d never tried it? Duly chastised, I looked it up and discovered that it is a Kutchi dish that was invented in the ’60s and that the name means pressed from the Gujarati word ‘dabao’ (not so different from the Hindi word). But in its most familiar avatars, this is a kind of vada-pao, depending on a potato (or banana) filling. Mr Patel had dispensed with the potato altogether and still made it tasty. And so to the food of my hometown. Everybody knows that the best chaat in India comes from UP and Bombay (plus the puchkas of Calcutta!) but the Bombay vendors had decided to give bhelpuri a miss and to showcase their city’s special ability to bastardise two or three cuisines at the same time. At a dosa counter, they made a Chinese dosa which had a noodle-filling (instead of the masala aloo you find in a masala dosa) and a Jini dosa which had cheese! There was also a pizza dosa. I asked the guy making the dosas whether a Jini dosa and a pizza dosa were the same thing. He looked pityingly at me. Did I not know that a Jini dosa was folded? And a pizza dosa was served open, “pizza jaise”? There was lots of this sort of innovation. The Ludhiana counter had momos, made with Punjabi-masala filling and served with a dahi sauce. (They were tasty, though!) I was still marvelling at their creativity, when a Sikh gentleman approached the stall and asked “Tandoori momo nahi hai?” When the vendor apologised and said no, the Sikh gentlemen said disgustedly “Arre kya yaar!” and turned away. Obviously Punjab has links with China that we do not know about because the Chandigarh stall was serving ‘Special Honey Gobi’. When I said this was new to me, the vendor said shortly, “Yeh hai Chinese. Chinese khaana.” So now I know. What did I like most about the festival? Well, apart from the fact that it exists at all, I was intrigued to see how much street food is travelling from state to state. A Kutchi dabeli is claimed by Jabalpur as a regional speciality. The Delhi stall had hijacked pao bhaji from Bombay. And yet the locals wanted to claim ownership. The lahsun kheer stall was described as serving Benaras food. The stall-holder scratched out the Benaras on the sign, and wrote ‘Lucknow’ by hand. And yes, I admired the spirit of the vendors. It is easy for a chef at a fancy restaurant to take pride in his food. But when you run a stall on the streets, are constantly harassed by the municipal corporation, forced to pay bribes to the cops and barely make enough to feed your family, and still care about the quality of your food and take pride in your craft – well that, to me, is real passion. It’s that passion that makes India great, and keeps our food so delicious.
Photo: VIR SANGHVI
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BENDING THE RULES
The Bombay vendors had decided to give bhelpuri a miss and instead had a dosa counter with preparations like Jini dosa with cheese MORE ON THE WEB For more columns by Vir Sanghvi, log on to hindustantimes.com/ brunch The views expressed by the columnist are personal
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Sin City SuperfeSt Refrigerators that talk, supersmart TVs, driverless cars and more from CES 2015
MORE ON THE WEB For more Techilicious columns, log on to hindustantimes.com/ brunch. Follow Rajiv on Twitter at twitter. com/RajivMakhni The views expressed by the columnist are personal
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HE ONE-armed bandit slot machines entice you as you land at the airport, the ridiculously stretched limousines draw up in an exhausting line-up as you step out, the incredible pyrotechnics and garishly lit-up billboards make for a blinding welcome as you are driven down the city, and the semi-naked ladies with trays full of drinks complete the entire sin city experience as soon as you enter the hotel. This is Vegas, baby! Baby may be in Vegas, but baby is awfully depressed right now. It’s bone-chillingly cold, I’ve been here for just one day – my flight was delayed due to a dense fog at every single airport en route – and I’ve barely spent a few hours on the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) floor before it shuts down for the day. And here I am, banging out this column due to mounting ‘going-to-print’ pressure from everyone back home. This is Day One for me, but by the time you read this, CES will be over. I’ve taken a general look around, but there’s no time to actually look at specific products. So this column is a bit of a gamble (considering I’m typing this from Las Vegas, this seems appropriate). This week, I’m going to go with all the in-your-face trends I’ve spotted in the few hours I was on the show floor. Do remember, we are talking about an event that has two million square feet of exhibit space, about 5,000 companies displaying more than 3,00,000 products, and about 1,50,000 people attending. I could get this wildly wrong. Next week, I’ll do a detailed Best Of CES piece, and also do a report card on how wrong or right this column was. Ok, let’s spin that wheel!
Rajiv Makhni
techilicious
THE SUPERSMART TV
The Samsung Tizen OS finally makes an appearance (below). The Smart TV gets an update with LG’s webOS 2.0 (bottom)
CRYSTAL GAZING INTO THE FUTURE OF TVs
TV has finally become cool again. Quantum Dot TVs (an added layer of nano-sized crystal dots in economical LCD TVs make their colour saturation truly pop and the picture looks as good as the much pricier OLED TVs), the Samsung Tizen OS finally makes a full blown appearance on a TV. Smart TV has gone ahead and become super smart with LG’s webOS 2.0. With the launch of LG’s Art Slim, the new race for the best-looking TV is truly on. Curved TV sets were on a downward curve. Most importantly, the biggest problem in TV land finally seems to be solved with 4K content, 4K players, 4K broadcast as well as 4K standards finally materialising into real products. Buying a 4K TV now won’t make you feel like a 4K fool.
TECH POWER REPLACES HORSEPOWER IN CARS
Car companies took up serious space and showcased seriously super techie stuff. Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda, Ford, Chrysler and a dozen other brands were all there showcasing the biggest gadgets of CES 2015. Next-level infotainment, serious showcasing of driverless car technology, the amalgamation of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto into cars and a stunning upgrade of in-cabin technology was pouring out of the car showcase areas. The time is near when almost all cars will be bought based on tech specs and not engine specs.
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NEXT-GEN CARS
Next-level infotainment, the amalgamation of Apple CarPlay; soon cars will be bought based on tech I expect to spend a lot of time at the CES car arena in the next few days and the Audi and Mercedes-Benz areas looked particularly tasty.
RISE OF THE INTERNET OF THINGS
SMARTNESS AHOY!
Soon, machines are going to rule every single aspect of our lives A smarthome, a smartoffice, a smartcity and a smarter you – all are coming together, and the biggest players in the business had a lot of things to showcase that. Samsung has spent some big money to acquire IoT (Internet of Things) companies and they had a lot of good stuff on display. Your refrigerator talks to your car, which in turn talks to your phone, that is already having a conversation with the billing computer at your supermarket! These ‘things’ are starting to become very cool. The good thing this time was that there were real demos of how this slightly ambiguous category was finally starting to come together. Most interesting were first generation devices that could talk to Apple’s HomeKit. In those few hours on the floor, I also got a demo of a coffee machine that signalled my fitness band, that in turn sent a message to my doctor that I was on my third cup of latte for the day! Beware, the machines are coming.
WEARABLE TECH THAT MAY WEAR YOU DOWN
Wearable tech was everywhere. But this time, it seemed that some hard lessons had been learnt from 2014. Rather than a nebulous array of things that were strapped onto your wrist and did some stuff but not much, it seemed that the products and tech were more cohesive and well-thoughtout this time. Smartwatches that were hybrids were the big trend (looks like a normal watch with a dial and hands but has awesome sensors built in), VR headsets from Oculus, Sony, Samsung, Virtuix and many new names had the largest lines. There were smartglasses that could sense when your eyes were tired. But the real advancement in wearable tech came when it didn’t need to be strapped onto your wrist or head. Smartclothing was huge, with socks that could sense your speed and balance while running, could track your jumping power and could track stamina. There was also a fabric that could detect full body motion and a small attachable strip that was a 24x7 heart rate monitor. Lots more in the trends department with smartphones, tablets, laptops and robotics. But that’s for next week, when we’ll also analyse how well I did with the ones detailed here. The cards have been dealt, let’s see if ‘baby’ can get a straight flush! Rajiv Makhni is managing editor, Technology, NDTV, and the anchor of Gadget Guru, Cell Guru and Newsnet 3
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Photos: THINKSTOCK
Say PleaSe! This year, let’s try and revive that quaint old concept called good manners
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HE FIRST day of the New Year. What better way to mark it than with a fun family lunch? Well, that was the plan, anyway. But things didn’t quite work out that way. Because the next table was occupied by a large, extended family, which came complete with many small children, all of whom came equipped with their own toy horns. Yes, I kid you not, actual horns, which make the most godawful noise when you blow into them. Which is exactly what these kids did, over and over again. Ah well, kids will be kids, right? The poor mites, they really don’t know any better. But what about their parents (and grandparents)? Surely, they couldn’t be oblivious to the pained looks being cast in their direction by all the other diners? And there was no way they couldn’t have heard that loud shushing sound emanating from that irate lady at the corner table (well, okay, it was me!). But not one adult on that table managed to muster up an embarrassed look. Not one of them stopped stuffing their mouths with butter chicken long enough to admonish the horn-touting children. And it certainly never occurred to them to confiscate the horns from their hyperactive kids so that the rest of us could eat in peace. Oh no, that would be asking for too much. Because good manners, and a little consideration for others, is not something that
There is nothing more annoying than to be discussing business with someone who keeps checking their phones when it beeps
People should respect other people’s time as they would their own; hope everyone finally realises that it doesn’t take much effort to call people to say you’re running late
happen this year (and every year thereafter): n That people put their phones on silent during business meetings, while eating at restaurants or watching a movie – and better still, slide them into their pockets or purses. There is nothing more annoying than to be discussing business with someone whose one eye is on his/ her phone, who keeps picking it up when it beeps to check messages, and then starts replying to these messages, ignoring you completely. We’ve all had dinner with that self-important sod, who keeps taking calls all through the meal or texting incessantly, telling you with every swipe of the screen that you are not really worthy of his/her full attention. And then, there are those obnoxious creatures who keep their phones on in movie halls, picking them up every 10 minutes to whisper loudly, “I am in a movie”. Oh, for God’s sake, put it away already! Seema Goswami n That people respect other people’s time as they would their own. So, doctors don’t give you an appointment for 2pm and then see you a good two hours later. Your friends don’t fetch up for dinner at 10pm when the invitation clearly said 8.30pm. And that everyone finally realises that it doesn’t take much effort to call people to say you’re running late. Only don’t text if you are in a business BE NICE meeting (see above). ‘Please’ and ‘thank you’ n That ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ see a revival in you can ever expect from your fellow hu- should see a revival their fortunes, and become a part of everyone’s man beings these days. Everybody is far too and become a part of vocabulary. A very well-mannered friend of mine, busy – eating, working, texting, tweeting, or everyone’s vocabulary who always holds the door open for those coming whatever else it is they do – to actually take through after him, has a nice passive-aggressive a moment to discipline their children. way of dealing with people who fail to say ‘thank you’. As Is it any surprise then that these spoilt, entitled brats they rush past him, heads bent over their smartphones, he grow up to drive Daddy’s car far too fast, having had a bit says loudly, “You are very welcome!” Nine times out of ten, too much to drink, and don’t spare a thought for the safety the offenders are shamed into saying a belated ‘thank you’. of other people on the road? Isn’t it only to be expected that The tenth person of course glides away, oblivious to the call these children grow up to believe that the rules don’t apply for good manners. But, as a strategy, it is not a bad way to to them, because they are oh-so-special? After all, didn’t call people out for their bad manners and force them to do Mummy and Daddy bring them up to believe just that? the right thing. And, as sure as night follows day, they will bring up their Will any of this work? Or am I just fighting a losing own children in exactly the same way. battle and setting myself up for disappointment yet again? Which is why, this year I intend to launch a campaign to Well, I’ll let you know how this little social experiment revive that quaint old concept: good manners. You know, the works out in a year’s time. Until then, be good, stay nice, kind that they taught us in school when we were growing and thank you so much for your time! up. Speak softly when you are in company. Say hello or ofMORE ON THE WEB fer to shake hands when you meet someone. Say ‘please’ For more SPECTATOR columns by Seema Goswami, when you want something and ‘thank you’ when you get log on to hindustantimes.com/brunch. Follow her on it. And don’t lie flat on the floor and throw the mother Twitter at twitter.com/seemagoswami. Write to her at of all tantrums if you don’t. seema_ht@rediffmail.com So here, in no particular order of importance, The views expressed by the columnist are personal are just some of the things that I would like to see
spectator SILENCE OF THE BEEPS
TIME TRAVEL
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WELLNESS
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MIND BODY SOUL SHIKHA SHARMA
MAKE THE MOST OF THE CHILL
The season’s cold, damp, grey days can get you down, but they are also a great excuse to pamper yourself
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ES, winter can make you feel low and under the weather. So here are five therapies to help you snap out of the blue: 1. SOAK YOUR FEET IN HOT WATER Heat water and add an aromatic oil such as rose or orange blossoms. Add a dash of bath oil and dip your feet in it for 15 minutes. This will relax your nerves and drive the cold away. If you have a bathtub, fill it with warm water, add essential oils and soak yourself for 20-25 minutes. Drink a cup of warm milk after this bath, and sleep like a baby.
Photos: SHUTTERSTOCK,
2. SIP SOME HERBAL SOUP Soup is the best remedy for a tired body and a low mood. Choose from among pumpkin, squashes, corn, tomato, mushroom and spinach as your main ingredient. Add white or black pepper, turmeric, onion, coriander, ginger, dill, garlic or galangal to clear your upper airways and sinuses, and fight viruses and bacteria. 3. GET AN AYURVEDIC MASSAGE SOUP FOR A HAPPY SOUL
Hot soup is the best pick-meup for a tired body and mind
If you opt for a hot-stone therapy, you get a full-body massage with medicated oils, following which hot stones are placed on your back along the spinal cord. This relieves tiredness and pain. Abhayangam (full-body massage), and nasyam (face massage) are standard ayurvedic treatments for the winter. After a face massage with herbal oils, there is a nasal insufflation of almond oil into the nostrils. This clears the sinuses and is said to build memory and concentration. 4. PURIFY THE AIR WITH CAMPHOR Closed doors and windows in winter can lead to a proliferation of bacteria and viruses. So burn camphor in your home to drive away the germs. 5. LIE BACK AND LISTEN TO MUSIC Music is food for the soul. It has a profound impact not only on humans, but also plants and animals. In cities, we are inundated with noise. The harmonic notes of music bring the mind and body back in balance. If you enjoy chanting, do so. ask@drshikha.com
MORE ON THE WEB For more columns by Dr Shikha Sharma and other wellness stories, log on to hindustantimes.com/brunch JANUARY 11, 2015
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PERSONAL AGENDA
twitter.com/HTBrunch
BIRTHDAY PLACE OF BIRTH SCHOOL/COLLEGE
Actress/ TV host
January 11
Tara Sharma
my movies
A MOVIE YOU LOVE ABOUT PARENTING
What To Expect When You’re Expecting (2012)
SUN SIGN HOMETOWN Capricorn
FIRST BREAK
Mumbai
The Bombay International School, Mumbai; United World College of Adriatic, Italy and London School of Economics and Political Science, London
HIGH POINT OF YOUR LIFE LOW POINT OF YOUR
LIFE When I got married to Roopak Om Jai Jagadish Saluja and the birth of my kids, Zen When I lost my father, Pratap Sharma (2002) and Kai
Three skin products you swear by. CURRENTLY I AM... A mild cleanser at night, a Promoting and working on the third season of my show, The Tara Sharma Show moisturiser and sunscreen. What would you be embarrassed to make public: WhatsApp chats, Facebook account or your playlists? Text chats with my husband. I call him very bizarre names and he reciprocates the same way. What kind of a child do your parents describe you as? My parents say I was a nerd. I was participating in various activities and was head girl in school. My mom says I would lock myself up in my room and study. Recently she told me that I was a little naughty too. So maybe I was a mix bag. A piece of advice you wish you had received 10 years ago. To never worry. I’m very cautious and a worrier and I think I should relax more. Three things you can’t leave home without. My kids (I know I A DISH THAT sound very soppy), my phone and YOU’D NEVER running shoes. EAT Your favourite travel destination. Closer home, Goa. London, because I’m half British; and Mahableshwar – we have a farmhouse there. You are most comfortable when you’re wearing… Jeans and a T-shirt, and dresses. But I’m stepping out of my comfort zone for my show and trying new things. The last line of your autobiography would read... “I’m constantly learning and achieving new things.”
I hate the rose syrup in falooda. And those bright pink and green mithais. They look weird
– Interviewed by Junisha Dama
A MOVIE YOU WOULDN’T WANT YOUR KIDS TO WATCH
The Home Alone series – I don’t want my kids to get strange ideas JANUARY 11, 2015
THREE KIDS’ MOVIES YOU LOVE WATCHING
The Jungle Book (1967), Finding Nemo (2003) and The Lion King (1994). I really love them all
A CLASSIC FILM YOU WISH YOU WERE A PART OF
Pretty Woman (1990), I am a huge fan of Julia Roberts so I’d have loved to be part of it in some way
Photo: RYAN MARTIS
Growing up, your dream career was… Being a lawyer. And as a kid, I loved acting and performing. I was in the corporate field before I shifted to entertainment. I think I had many dreams. One thing people need to understand about parenting. That parenting is very tough. It’s a full-time, multitasking job. A celebrity guest from history you want on your show. Gandhiji. He was a father and a grandfather in his personal life and at the same time, a father to the nation. Would you rather be a Tiger Mom, a hovering Helicopter Mom or FreeRange Parent? None! I always follow a middlepath. Every child is different so parenting styles have to differ. What’s the most frustrating part about hosting a TV show? Exactly that: being called a host! I’m not just a host or an anchor. I co-produce the show, write it, promote it and I’m involved in every process in the making of the show. What’s your fitness mantra? Yoga thrice a week. And I run a little every day. Most of my running is after my kids and our dog. Having kids really increases your metabolism. You de-stress by… Laughing with my kids, husband and mom. And once my kids are asleep, my husband and I relax with a glass of wine at night and watch a movie. I find interacting on social media relaxing. What’s a typical Sunday like in the Sharma-Saluja household? Sundays are very sacred because it’s the only day Roopak is home with the kids. So, we are either home or we just go for a swim at the club.
Mumbai