Being born in India and having spent 24 years of my life there, it holds a special place in my heart. Having our families back there, we do a customary visit to Delhi each year to spend some quality time with family, tantalise the taste buds and as an attempt to retain our roots.

Our recent trip, as always, was an experience of the little everyday routines, highlights, hums & sounds and aromas that always keeps me returning to this incredible country year after year…

Sharing some pictures of our recent trip to Delhi as an attempt to show India through my lens.

• Reliving Childhood with my Favourite! The trip to Delhi for me is a journey down the memory lane. The first thing that I had were ‘Nutties’- my absolute all-time favourite. The chocolatey flavour with the nutty core gives it an amazing taste which is difficult to replicate. To let the cat out of the bag, these were in the kiddie packs that my mum very dearly made for the boys but before they knew it- these had already disappeared.

• Family Picnics are a part of growing up.. I am sure that brings back a lot of memories for all of you. Each time it was a public holiday, there was a plan for a family picnic. Meeting cousins, playing cricket (Oh yes! I belong to a family that is crazy for Cricket), eating amazing dishes, running around- all but fun. This trip was no different- we had a family picnic and like no other picnic, the focus was on cricket and food 😉 Don’t we Punjabi’s Love & Live to Eat?

• Who doesn’t love the Sun? Of course, we all do! December is the best month to visit Delhi – For us it’s the perfect Winter with temperature ranging between 10 degrees (min) to 24 degrees (max). You get your good share of sun and bit of chill during the night but you can still be out and about or choose to stay cosy indoors.

• Indian Culture: It’s all about Traditions and Customs: Being with family in India is the best time for us to do Puja rituals such as ‘Havan’ in the presence of our loved ones and in the comfort of our own home. This is an age-old ritual which is believed to have a cleansing effect on us and our surroundings. It involves chanting of mantras and offerings into the fire which has a stimulating and positivating effect on the body and mind. It also helps us stay in touch with our culture and traditions and to expose our kids to these too.

• India never ceases to amaze me: India has changed drastically from when we moved out in 2006. But still the modernity and the traditions go hand on hand. On one hand, you can see the Western influence and on the other- it seems like nothing has changed and India is still the same.
  

I am sure everyone is familiar with Chandni Chowk, it’s the best place to get the actual real feel of Old Delhi. Also, for those who have not been there, it is one of India’s best-known wholesale markets for fabrics and materials. This is on the top of my to do things list when I am in Delhi.

• Colours have a much deeper meaning than just being a decorative value: India as a country is associated with colours- be it the culture, its festivals, clothes or the cuisine. With regional, geographical and religious diversity, the colours have a different meaning and represent different emotions to people. I love the vibrancy of colours and one of the places you will always see me clicked at is the balcony of Hotel Eros – I just love the fresh floral arrangements that they have in their balcony. Well, I just don’t go there for them – in case you were thinking. Singh Sahib at Eros Hotel serves delectable North Indian dishes. Make sure you call them before you go- as there are days when they have very talented live ghazal singers- whom we have been listening to for years now.

 

Clicked @Eros Hotel New Delhi

 

•  Eat Eat & Eat!: I always come back feeling a little chubbier with no regrets though. Just like any holiday, I eat, indulge and just don’t feel bad about it. From Gol Gappa to chola bhatura, from Laccha Parantha to Kathi Rolls, from Butter Chicken to Indo-chinese, I try not to miss out on any of my favourites at any of my favourite joints from Nathu’s to Anupama, from Bikanerwala to Singh Saheb, from Sagar Ratna to Sarvana.. and the famous golgappa wala at UPSC ki chat-PrabhuChaatBhandaar

 

Finally, That’s Us posing in front of a lavishly decorated Indian Truck ( Clicked @ Dhaba, Rajouri Garden -Indian Restaurant)

 

Hope you enjoyed scrolling through some of my pics from our recent trip.

See you till Next time!

Have a lovely Evening,

Rads