Delhi is Swept into the Hot Zone

There is so much to tell you . Where should I begin?

OK . The weather it has to be.A cool breeze still blows starting sunrise till about 8AM, making the morning walks very pleasant. The Gulmohars are a riot of colour and the Jacarandas purple blooms are a treat too.But it becomes very hot by noon and the temp peaks out around 3PM to 40 + degrees Celsius. Still not entirely unbearable I'll say in Delhi,, though some other parts of north India are in the grip of a heat wave.I am carrying a picture of "Gulmohar" in full bloom that I took from our hotel room window in Bangkok a couple of years ago.

To beat the Delhi heat, one has to sit under the shade of a tree with a glass of iced " Nimbu Paani" or "Shikanjavi"( in Punjabi), Ice cream, "Kulfi Fluda",or " Chuskis" ( scraped ice popsickles with multicloured syrups poured over them)- if you are in parts of the Capital where they still have the stomach for them.For the more oriental palates, we have the all time fovourite " Rooh Afsah"(Cool the Soul)red syrup sold by Hamdard Dawakhana, the varieties of " Khus"and Badaam Sherbats and the bottled "Thandais" to be mixed with cold milk and ice ( Mishrambu's the famous brand made in the home of Thandais in Varanasi available in well stocked neighbourhood grocery stores in delhi being my fovourite).


My rare foray into the Sarojini Nagar market last evening was rewarding.I discovered juicy, sweet and pulpy "Jamuns" (dark purple berries), which normally make their appearance in Delhi when the monsoons arrive, were available in plenty- from Bangalore, I was told. But no one really knows where they grow them in such plenty and who package them and send them for being sold here. Must be some place beyond the Vindhyas for sure . But who cares, as long as we get them. The earliest variety of Mangoes probably from Andhra Pradesh were also seen in plenty, as were the juicy "Sherbati Adus"(peaches). One also caught a limpse of "Phalsas" and " Jarberi ke Ber" both tiny berries, which grow wild on shrubs in the plains of North India in the summers.But I didn't see any " Karaundas" the very sour variety of berries also grown in summers on very thorny bushes which are used to make all kinds of pickles and Chutneys. The holy( its leaves are offered to Lord Shiva at Shiv Ratri)hard crusted "Bel"fruits eaten with its seeds when fully ripe and used for making Sherbats and " Murabbas"( presrved in sugary syrups) with cooling and various stomach ailments curing properties were also to be seen.The " Phalsa Sherbat", "Kachey Aam Ka Panna"( both not easy to make)and "Sattu ka Ghol" made with roasted Barley and puffed rice flour and mixed with jaggery are my other favourite summer cold drinks.These rustic tastes were acquired quite early in life when the family maintained a live contact with Faridpur, a "Kasbah"( small town) and not village as our grand mother constantly reminded us, located on the rail line between Bareilly and ShahjahanpurinCentral UP, from where the "Chowdhry Khandaan", to which I belong, came.

The chaos created by the trial runs on the 5 Km stretch of main arterial road of Delhi joining Moolchand Fly over to Ambedkar Nagar has been on the headlines of almost all Delhi papers the past week.Not having personally shared the anguish of those traversing this stretch, my conclusions on this hot subject of debate in Delhi drawn on the basis of long analytical write ups in the dailies are:- Planners obviously failed to take into account certain basic requirements for its success: Inadequate widening of the road;commensurate increase in the number of buses;curtailing passage of slower moving objects, like hand or cycle pulled carts;and education of the road users, which is woefully lacking in Delhi. Despite the repeated appeals by the well meaning and sincere lady who heads the NCT Govt over the various FM Radio channels, we "Delhi Wallahs" simply refuse to drive in our lanes. Many of us are not even aware which is the right lane!The younger semi-literate "chauffeurs" seen behind the wheels of the plethora of cars/ tempos/buses/ trucks/ vans on the city roads hailing from the surrounding rural belt, as also more distant parts of the North Indian states are, in my view, the worst culprits in flouting every rule in the traffic books. But one can't blame them entirely.After all, each one of them comes from a very poor family,striving to make their ends meet. And he is at least working hard, far away from home, to contribute to keep them reasonably well clothed and fed. The fault lies deeper in our lax licencing and enforcement systems, made more rotten by the all pervasive malady of corruption which has infected every corner of public life.This is another price that we have to pay for presrving the democracy about which all of us rightly feel proud.Is there hope for Delhi, I sometimes wonder.Despite the apparent lack of civic support systems the energy levels, visible all around are amazing and perhaps unparalled, and that is our hope.

Stories of rapes, mostly of minors by members of the family,teachers,politicians, neighbours,taxi drivers, cops, Sadhus and almost every one:murders of spouses,even old parents and children arising out of marital discordsrds, sexual lust,property and business feuds are also flooding columns of the capital's national dailies.Making me wonder again which way are we really heading and how can things be improved.ARE WE TOO CONTRICTED aS a socity?.It certainly has a lot to do with falling family values, and quality of our educational systems, and rise in mindless consumerism. But this is what is driving the economy, I am told. Do we need such economic progress, I ask.

I will try not to deviate to such serious issues in my future blogs but one can't help occasioally looking at what is going wrong around us.

A little about a facinating and enigmatic personalty who has been a part of our lives for sveral years in Delhi. Mr Shamsuddin Ahmed or Tailor Masterjee or simply "Master", as he calls himself. Well, he lives in a dark corner of East Delhi near Shahadra, a particularly bad criminal area, I understand. He belongs to a family of Tailor Masters in the Walled City.Apart from stitching clothes and curtains etc at a few homes like ours , he also runs a small tailoring shop in his neighbourhood in which his sons help.The good old "Singer" hand- run sewing machine is his tool to demonstrate his amzing skills as a tailor. Hand stitching and cutting are his other areas of forte. Unable to cope with the challenges of modern technology in his trade, this traditional Old Delhi Muslim family, like many others have fallen on hard times.We have been utilising Masterjee's services to attend to various stitching chores at our home for the past twenty years or so. He still bicycles with his sewing machine tied neatly on the carrier more than 15 Km for sure to stitch Kurtas, Pyjamas, Shervanis and Achkans, while sitting on a Durry spread in one of the rooms, or even the garage, with his gear, like threads, needles and cloth spread all around him ( as can be seen in the picture carried by me in this blog taken a couple of years back).His tailoring skills are considerable. I and a few friends have even got English Tweed Jackets and shirts stitched by him to, near perfection. All he needs is the an article of clothing which fits you well, to be imitated.Masterjee is also served tea, snacks and lunch when he works at our home in addition to the Rs 200/- per day which he charges for his day long labour!

Before Shamsuddin his, old father who looked identical, used to stitch clothes for my sister, who also lived in Moti Bagh in the early Eighties. He is no more, but is known to have been an even more profficient tailor.A little more about Shamsuddin-
One evening about an year back as I was returning home from work, Shamsuddin called me on my cell phone as he often did." Sahib meri Biwi ko Badmashon ne maar dala- Mein ghar pe nahin tha.Meri Biwi aur beti thi. Do Budmash bagal ke ghar se ghus aye almari mein rakhey rupaye le gaye aur Biwi ke shor machane par usko Chaku mar diya. Nahin bachegi. Police ko phone kiya hai . Aap meri madad kijiye". My first reaction was Masterjee was exaggerating, as he usually did, while seeking my help in several property disutes in the family. But I called the DCP NE on his cell and asked him to check out what happened.I got a call back within 20 min from the DCP telling me that what Shamsuddin had told me was indeed true and that his wife was " declared dead" at the hospital.I requested him to do everything possible to nab the culprits and was assured that it would be done. " He lives in a bad area,Sir", the DCP added.Thereafter, I got several calls from the grief-stricken "Tailor Master" to help in getting the culprits arrested for the sake of his satisfaction, though he was reconciled to his wife's departure as part of his destiny. I mentioned about the poor fellow's plight to the CP and the Jt CP as well. They both knew about this henious crime.Two of the culprits were arrested promptly and sent to jail but Masterjee and his daughter were terrified to go to the jail to identify the suspects . I asked him to go, assuring all police help for his security.

I am not able to reaveal the shocking part of this story to you because Maserjee had come to invite us personally to attend the " Walima " of his daughter's marriage a few months back- half pleased and half scared of reprisals from a family where the marriage had been fixed earlier. We gave him gifts for the newly weds.Hope his daughter has a long and happy married life.

Maybe the blog's becoming too long so I'll stop here. Till we meet next week with more about my favourite summer food- Mangoes, the King of all fruits without doubt and more age old methods to keep your cool when Delhi is scorching!

Take care and have a wonderful week ahead.

Summer Sets in Over Delhi .

Hello All,

The one or two spells of rain last week slowed down the scorching summer heat overtaking Delhi. But the signs are all there now- the earthen "Gharas" and "Surahis" on sale along the road sides: the ads of various brands of ACs in the Newspapers with theur energy saving capabilties & affordibility recieving more prominence than before(also signifying that the once symbol of affluence is switly breaking into the midle class homes);Icecream sales are picking up; several brands of "Lassis", "Chhachh" and "Matha" are being briskly sold by Mother Dairy and Amul booths all over;the Koel's "Kooks" are more audible now than before- a sure sign that the summers are here.Why do the Koels shriek continuously more in the summer than in the winter,I wonder? Is it out of glee or melencholy?

Here is what I wrote for the benefit of gardening enthusiasts of the Delhi Gymkhana Club on being asked recently by Ashwajit, the young Editor of the Gym News Letter to contribute to it's next issue:-


Drive Away Your Summer Blues with Summer Annuals and Fragrant Flowers

The Moghul rulers love for flowers and fragrances is well known. They have left behind their legacy not only in architectural marvles like the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and Humayun’s Tomb, but also in a rich variety of fragrant flowers to keep them cool doing the hot summer months of Delhi. Therefore, we have the Belas, Chamelis, Mogras, Harsingars (NYCTANTHUS), and Rat Ki Ranis (Queen of the night), spreading their heady fragrances over the Delhi gardens during the summer months.
December to April in Delhi are a treat for gardening enthusiasts. The very wide variety of Winter Annuals spread color and joy all over the Capital, in parks, roadsides, roundabouts and homes, starting with Chrysanthemums in December an ending with Petunias in April.

But what about the less talked about Summer Annuals which can survive the scorching summer heat. Although they can not match the splendor and abundance of Winter Annuals, here is a list of summer annuals which should be planted now in pots and beds, emptied of withering and drooping winter annuals and filled with fresh soil and manure mix. They are sure to drive away your summer blues.
Portulaca very pretty multicolored flowering plants which remain close to the ground. The flowers open in the morning and close in the evening. A new variety, which is a perennial, has become available recently and become popular. I am carrying a picture of this variety which I grew in profusion in my home a couple of years ago.
Cosmos - the yellow and orange varieties grow well in the summer, while the white, and purple larger blooms are winter annuals.
Zinnias- very pretty multicolored blooms which come in both double and single varieties. Better planted in beds for mass effect
Gompherenas- small purple blooms also popularly called ‘Bachelor's Buttons’ also make excellent fragrant dry flowers. Curiously, they become fragrant after drying.
Amaranthus - the Tricolor ornamental varieties are the best.
Sunflowers tall and majestic large yellow blooms. But beware, their seeds are a favorite food of parrots and hordes will attack and devour your prize blooms, unless you take suitable precautions.
Caladiums bright multicolored leaves grown in pots in and around rockeries from bulbs are best grown in semi shade . A very large variety of Caladiums also popularly called Bleeding Heart are available.
Gaillardia is also gaining in popularity as summer annuals, although I am personally not very fond of them.
Celosia furry red, yellow and orange flowers can be grown in pots and beds.
Vinca,the traditional Sada Bahaar known for its medicinal ( anti Diabetes properties with pink and white flowers are now available in several hybrid varieties and can be grown in beds for mass effect.
Cockscomb, with fiery red furry large blooms do well though the summer months and monsoon, and last almost into the winters. Crested flower heads resembles the comb of cock.
And finally, no garden in Delhi in summers is complete without the amazingly green balls of Kochias which grow so well in pots and in beds. Surely a soothing sight for sore eyes. The more sun and heat they get, the greener will be your Kochias. Just make sure that you water them every day. You will, however, notice them withering after the first monsoon showers.

Another silver lining that the summers provide for garden lovers is that the lawns will be much more green than during the winters, provided they are watered regularly preferably by sprinklers and given the right doses of manure and urea.

I have been picking up most of my gardening requirements from" ARGOSY", the small shop run by Mr Menderitta in the basement of Yashwant Place. Although one misses Mr Menderitta's friendly presence at the shop now since he is old and stays mainly at home, his staff are helpful and knowledgeable. More importantly, they don't overcharge and state correctly the quality of the products they sell.

Happy gardening to all Delhi Gym. nature lovers.

Well, that's all for this week folks . So enjoy the week ahead and wait for my Next Weekly Delhi Diary on my Blog when I plan to write about time old recipes to beat the Delhi heat& " Tailor Mastejee". There is more to come in my next Blogs on the King of Fruits and my favouirite the Mangoes.

Baisakhi- Ram Navami Weekend in Delhi

Hi All,

Today is Ramnavami- the end of Navarata, following the harvest festival of Baisakhi in the Punjab and the beginning of the Tamil New Year(April 13).Most religions prescribe a strict code of restrictions in the matter of eating and drinking during holy periods. Nvaratra is the most liberal, I think. Allowing those observing the fast to eat, fruits,most vegeatbles, dry fruits, milk products and even breads ( Puris and Kachauris) fried in Desi Ghee made out of non cereal Attas ( flour) like Kutoo and Singhara.How can a devout Hindu be deprived of either salt or dessert, even for a few days. So Sendha Namak( rock salt ) is allowed and Makhane Ki Kheer for Hindus with a sweet tooth during the Navaratra ( 9 nights) fasting period. It is truly a boon to be born a Hindu. A totally liberal religion without physical or mental rigours!!

I stepped into the hallowed portals of the Delhi Public School ( RKP)the flagship of the DPS world wide network of High Schools located not far from where we live, for the second time last weekend..The first was in 1985 when I had gone to meet with the then Principal Mr R S Lugani to pursue him to admit our two sons in the 3rd and 5th grades, unsuccessfully. Both, however, did study there (free of cost) thanks to my wife being selected to teach in it's Junior Branch at East of Kailash.The DPS( RKP,) has over the years earned and preserved the formidable reputation of being the leader in a fiercely competitive academic world of Indian Schooling.

I was to pick up my wife who was attending a workshop for Teachers on the weekend.
Instead of waiting in the car outside , I decided to walk in- more out of curiosity than anything else.The building is less imposing than the school's reputation. But the small garden was neatly and aesthetically maintained. The playing fields located in the rear couldn't be seen.Well I am glad that I finally managed to get a glimpse of the premises where both our sons did their entire schooling and my wife has been teaching for over two decades.I wonder though why I was not invited to their Annual Sports Day and the various other cultural activities,as my aprents were to my school.

Delhi is becoming warmer by the day, but early mornings and late evenings are still pleasant. The winter annuals at home are surprisingly still doing well, particularly the Petunias, the Dahlias and Asters. The pictures carried in this Blog taken this morning are proof of this.

We saw " Khuda Ke Liye" in the matinee show at Satyam, Nehru Place yesterday. The first Pakistani movie to be released in India after many years.It's bold and sends several strong messages across the continents. The story on how those professing liberal Islam are caught between pressures of the fundamentalists among whom they have to live and survive, and the mistrust of the western world. The Sufi musical scores, though few, are beautiful. The US Law Enforcement autohrities and the hardline Mullahs preaching hatred in the name of religion have both been painted in deep black colour." All Muslims are not terrorists" pleads the Pakistan hero being tortured in a Chicago police interrogation Centre. " But why are all terrorists Muslims," asks the interrogator. All in all, a well directed, powerful movie with a strong appeal to audiences in the Sub-Continent.

Anther long weekend ahead. Thanks this time to Lord Mahavir, whose Jayanti falls on Friday April 18. Long live Lord Mahavir , Jainism and "Indian" brand of secularism which honours all religions alike by declaring a holiday for it's overworked Babudom, irrespective of the religion they profess, on Birth Anniversaries of their Prophets and Gods. "Ishwar Allah Tero Naam Sabko Sammati de Bhagwan"


That's all for this week.


Love and all the best for the week ahead.

Faltering Onset of Summer Over Delhi

Hi There,

Since our return to Delhi, last week the weather has been playing tricks with hot and dry first have, followed by cloudy and wet last three days. The thunderstorm and heavy spells of rain on two consecutive nights has brought much relief to the city dwellers, but caused havoc to the ripened standing wheat crop over most of north India.

The damage to the standing crops by the unseasonal heavy rains have made the overall picture of vegetables and food grain prices even more grim. The Govt faces a serious challenge from the sharply rising inflation. The fact that nature is beyond the control of the Govt and the shortage of food grain and rising cost of crude oil is a worldwide phenomenon is unlikely to blunt the flak faced by the UPA Govt at the centre for the spiraling prices of essential commodities hitting the poorer sections of society the hardest.

There are umpteen suggestions by eminent economists and polticians every day on how to bring down the rising trend of prices. But none of these hold out any hope of an effective check on the spiral.

The drop in the mercury and rains have gladdened garden enthusiasts like me since it gives a fresh lease of life to the fast disappearing winter annual blooms. The Petunias seem to last the longest and even the the giant Dahlias and Sylvia's are still in bloom, although their peak is over.The two pictures posted on this blog of hybrid Petunias in a window box in my office ( grown from Gold Smith - US seeds germinated by me) and double Dahlias ( from seedlings from Calcutta in tiny earthen pots bought from Rajdhani Nursery in Jorbagh)in a bed at home, are proof of this unusual spectacle at this time of the year.

Gardeners all over Delhi are getting ready to plant the Portulacas, Zinnias , Cosmos, Gilardia, Sunflowers and Kochias, the only varieties known to survive the scorching heat of a Delhi summer which is round the corner.

The "Raat Ki Rani" tree in the front lawn at our home has started spreading its heady sweet aroma as the nights fall. The fragrant "Belas" on bushes are also beginning to bud and blossom. The glorious yellow "Amaltash" ( Laburnum or Casia Fistula) Gulmohur, Jacaranda and Bauhanias " Kachhnaar, Ticoma Argentinium. Tebubea Roseas,the other beautiful summer flowering variety of trees growing in abundance at round abouts and city parks all over Delhi will start spreading their magic from next month. For garden lovers the "Phoolon Ki Bahaar" never really leaves the capital city of Hindustan. But you must have the time and eye for them.

The Navaratras are due to begin tomorrow ( April 7)when the devout Hindus shall start observing their own version of fasting with only certain varieties of food- grains and vegetables are allowed to be eaten for nine days. This is fairly easy, as compared to the rigorous regime to be followed by the devout Muslims during the month long fasting in Ramzaan.Another significant contrast between Indians professing the two prominent faiths of the Sub- Continent is that while the vast majority of Muslims young and old, Sunnis and Shias strictly observe fasting during Ramzaan, only a hand full of Hindus living in the northern parts of the country observe the much more liberal fasting code prescribed for Navratras and other one day Hindu festivals.Any analysis or interpretaion of this sharp divergence??

There was very impressive gathering at the celebration over dinner hosted by our good friends the Mathurs to welcome their first grandchild with 90 % participation by guests, despite the torrential rains in the afternoon preceding the happy event. A reflection of the strong ties which bind families and friends in India -that was Hindustan and Bharat!

Jai Hind and God bless till next week