INDORE

The Flavour of India

By Bipasa Chatterjee (MBA 21-23)

The desire to visit Indore had emerged long ago, from the many stories of its famous street food, clean roads and the recurrent disappointment of my friends over the breakfast, lunch and dinner table!

Not much of an explorer but the constant reassurances of the said friends and many accolades of food in Indore, finally persuaded us for a short trip to what I would like to call now, the flavor capital of IndiaIndore.

An overnight bus journey from Nashik led us to our destination. And as we set out with a lot of anticipation and delight in mind, the winter breeze greeted us in all its fervor and glory. Winters in Indore are chilly, with the cold air intermittently hitting your bones and getting the shiver out of you.

Nevertheless, Indore was a delight! Just as sweet as its crunchy jalebis and as scrumptious as its many delicacies.

In the morning, Indore is a bride, colorful and vibrant with its numerous eateries, serving the most flavourful plates of Poha, the juiciest Jalebis and the crispy Kachories.

As the day sets in, Indore is almost a holy temple. Clean roads, buzzing with the people commuting to their mundane lives and sunlight peeking its way through the winter clouds.

Around sixty miles away from Indore, lies Ujjain, on the bank of the river Shipra, where Lord Shiva is said to reside in the form of Mahakaleshwar; one of the twelve Jyotirlings, hence an important pilgrimage site for the Hindus and a must visit if you're in Indore.

And if Indore isn't alluring enough during the day, it is an absolute treat to your taste buds during the night. The city hosts perhaps the biggest street food market at night in its heart- The Sarafa Bazar.

Everything that your soul could ever desire to taste, you would find in Sarafa. While in Indore, forget about a diet because one cannot help but succumb to the sight of the biggest of Jalebis, mounts of Momos, thickest of Parathas, the longest of potato twisters and whatnot. The famous Indori Dosas, Sabudana khichdi and Rabdi Malpua stole my heart away. The street is a sight at night, with crowds rushing in even at midnight.

And if any place else could beat the glamor of Sarafa, it's the tempting Chappan Dukan. Yes, 56 stalls in consecution, each serving an appetizing dish. Amongst all the delicacies, Johnny's Hot Dogs and Vijay's famous Khopra Patties were surely the showstoppers for the day.Prashanth's Kachories and Batata Poha were again a delight the next morning, when we set out to visit Maheshwar yet another holy city on the bank of the river Narmada.

In all senses, everything that Indore had to offer: the holy temples, cleanest of roads, the palatable poha, the lively Sarafa, the vibrant Chappan Dukan and of course the beautiful people with the warmest hearts was simply, amazing.