New Delhi Flavors

[Indra Chopra]

Delhi Flavors

Chaos, golmaal, juggad, chalta hai.... and in the never changing scenario, politics takes center stage with exposes of various scams, the disruption of Parliament at taxpayers expense and for weeks 'will he or won't he' and finally he did. The silent Prime Minister finally opened his mouth only to put his 'jooti' or shoe in his mouth. He was evasive and apologetic and this somehow did not go down well with the power hungry or power baiters of Delhi corridors. It is not his fault as the PM is unlike his Punjabi brethren of Delhi, vociferous and brash, the 'do not worry it will be done' types ready to say yes and when they and you know the 'don't worry' would be your nemesis for eternity. It is the favorite term used by everyone and any one from auto repair person to political fixers, relatives and friends. In local lingo it is the  'Juggad' or 'by chance' and the country revolves on it. There was a spoof of how two foreigners baffled by the expertise of roadside repair person ask him how he managed to fix their BMW. They received a simple answer, 'Jugaad'.  The men returned to their country and asked their PM to import 'Jugaad' from India. Their PM approached the Indian PM asking for help and the Indian PM refused because this was something indispensable....his own government was running on 'Jugaad'.

Delhi in February is a city of flowers and festivals. The Mughal Gardens, Lodhi Gardens, the India Gate lawns, numerous public parks and private gardens are colored oasis in midst of concrete deserts. It is also the month of picnics and one finds families, friends, corporate groups, senior citizens on roll enjoying lunch under the winter sun or playing frisbee, badminton or simply lazing out. Lodhi Gardens is the best of places to go on a Sunday if looking to relax and unwind and for that matter any of the public parks and patch of greenery. 

Spring is also the time for trying out the meals doled out by restaurants, street side kiosks, five star eateries or the fast food places. Not much of a foodie, I did not bother about food till moving to Hong Kong and now whenever I happen to be in Delhi my first priority is to taste  the genuine... the Indian Chinese Sweet & Sour and Chicken fried rice; Mac chicken/potato burger at the nearest McDonald outlet; South Indian 'dosas and idlis' and tandoori food especially ' kathi rolls' at Khan Chacha in upscale Khan Market of Central Delhi.

Spring is also the wedding season in full swing and the big fat Indian wedding got a shot with a humongous dowry gift, a helicopter, to the groom. Dowry is supposedly banned but then an Indian wedding is incomplete without few gifts. BMWs, Mercs, solitaire necklaces and rings are passé especially when a helicopter enters the scene.  The marriage venues from halls and five star hotels have moved to Taj Mahal and Venice replications. The Indian parent never had it so bad...save for education right from pre- nursery, after all the child needs to go to a public school and not your neighborhood play school and keep on saving for school and college, probably in the USA or UK or for capitation fees in a regional engineering college and then for marriage if parents of girls. A boy, then it's lottery time, build up the stakes and aim for an island, even a remote one would do.