Deep Adhya, PhD

Down the dusty roads and arid mountains of Haryana, one would not expect much. Sitting on the lap of the Aravalli Hills, in the National Brain Research Centre, and dreaming of strawberries, one is often left disappointed. Once on a visit to Mahabaleshwar, I had come across strawberries growing in the wild. But Mahabaleshwar is a hill station, experiencing cool climate throughout the year, the conditions extremely conducive to the growth of strawberries. On that hill station, industry constitutes strawberries and corn, and one can buy fresh strawberries the size of Darjeeling oranges, and their products such as jam (with whole strawberries) and pulp for use in desserts, and the works. But in an arid place like Haryana, around the Gurgaon region, and very close to the deserts of Rajasthan, one rarely expects strawberries to grow in the wild, leave alone be cultivated. But luck it seems shone on us, those who seek this red juicy berry. On a rare outing beyond the rear borders...

The restaurant front is uninspiring. But don’t shrug your shoulders yet, because one really mustn’t read a book by its cover. Covered in dark glass stands ‘Tapas World’, in the heart of Defense Colony Market. On the glass is inscribed a list of items from the menu – in small font, like an unending series. Look closer and the essence of the well-known Spanish Tapas Cuisine shall become apparent. Tapas is not just food, it is a way of life in Spain, a wide variety of appetizers or snacks which can be combined together to make a full meal. The late Steve Jobs believed that great products need great promotions. The owners of ‘Tapas World’ would have achieved much if they thought of it. Here, now, they have a great menu boasting of Spanish Tapas cuisine, very delightful, yet unknown, yet they do nothing to reach out to patrons of good gastronomy. The décor is deplorable with its low lighting and dark theme. Although it might suit a bar just fine, it does not help to create an ambience...

So what do I do when I want to eat Mutton Haleem in the middle of summer in the Northern plains of India? I wait for the monsoons to arrive. I hope that the monsoons will wash away the searing heat, leaving behind a fresh earth to trot. When monsoons finally come and the hopes of adventure are raised, how does one predict that it shall be accompanied with hot and humid spells? The hot and humid periods without rain are not any better than the hot and dry ones of summer. They make you sweat so much that soon you find yourself turned to fluids, draining down the sewers. But the human brain is a unique piece of machinery. It gives form to the mind, an intangible entity that believes anything is possible. Thus when the mind decides that it is time to eat Mutton Haleem, the weather hot or humid, it is time to eat Mutton Haleem. Little does the mind know that it must pay the price for being a tyrant to the body that houses it. But I never said that a little sufferance never pay...

Sometimes, nothing makes sense anymore. Our jeep hustled down the twisty tracks of the Garhwal hills in the Southern Himalayas. The journey wasn’t over yet. We still had to visit a place downstream of the river Malini. It was getting dark and all the ancient history from the Mahabharata wasn’t able to enthuse us anymore. Legend has it that sage Vishwamitra meditated intensely on the banks of the river Malini. God Indra, afraid of his dedication had sent the damsel Menoka to distract him. Successful in her endeavor, she gave birth to a girl offspring, Shakuntala who was left at this place called Kanva-Ashram in the care of Rishi Kanva. Shakuntala was the mother of Bharata, a legendary Indian emperor who had conquered all of Greater India, his empire being named after him , ‘Bharat-varsa’ . What was supposed to be a quiet European-like vacation on a British military hill station turned out in the end a trip down mythological folklore. But I wasn’t complaining. Tattling in t...