Potluck picnics with cousins, frisbee with friends, melting softy ice creams: Will India Gate picnics be a thing of the past now?
Few things define the quintessential Delhi experience like a day out at India Gate. From the leisurely walks along the lawns, ice lollies in hand, to late-night drives past the glowing monument, India Gate has held a special place in the city's heart.
The go-to picnic spot of every Dilliwallah is now restricted. 'Kripya ghaas par naa chalien, naa baithein… Yeh ek dandniye apradh hai': Boards and announcements alert visitors. As new regulations by the Delhi government prohibit visitors from walking, sitting, eating, or playing on the lawns on both sides of the Kartavya Path – we ask Delhiites about their memories of picnics at India Gate.
'India Gate was the OG hangout spot'
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'India Gate was the hangout spot.
I have memories of melting softy ice creams, boat rides at the nearby canal, and sprawling on picnic mats with homemade snacks – simple joys that stay with you,' says Rennie Joyy, founder of Aalekh Foundation.
Rene Singh, a singer, adds, 'As children, we used to have these large family potluck picnics. One family would get parathas, another would come with a biryani or a chicken pulao, and then one with a meat curry and roti and one would come with a bucket of mangoes.'
'India Gate was the OG hangout spot'
'India Gate picnic was about small joys'
Punam Kalra, Creative Director, I'm The Centre for Applied Arts, recalls, 'A trip to India Gate meant fun and laughter. It was about the small joys in life – basking in the sun, sitting on a dhuree that was carefully chosen so the grass wouldn't prick through. I still remember the aroma of aloo, chana, puris and pickles from the food baskets. We'd wait for the entire family to settle down before digging in.
It was that sense of togetherness that made it feel like a real picnic.
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Actor and entrepreneur Shivani Wazir Pasrich says, 'As children, our go-to place was the Children's Park at India Gate and the occasional paddle boating experience. In the evenings, we used to enjoy orange ice cream bars while strolling around. It is indeed a magical part of our city.'
'It was a free space'
Sohail Hashmi, a geographer and veteran heritage walk leader, remembers how India Gate was a site of freedom.
'In the 70s and 80s, we used to go to India Gate with our cousins and often sit there until 1am at night. I remember having my first tri-coloured casatta ice cream there.'
'When they were young, my children's favourite outing was a visit to India Gate, eat ice-cream or the various other snacks sold by hawkers, and buy a balloon,' quotes historian Swapna Liddle, in her book Connaught Place And The Making Of New Delhi. She now says, 'What I wrote in my book, which was before the redevelopment, even before the National War Memorial came up, seems so out of date today.'
Artist Niraj Gupta, recalls how the lawns surrounding India Gate were not just a picnic spot for his family but also one of his most visited spot for sketching. 'India Gate was our go-spot. Sitting there and sketching the monument and the people around was a moment of pure creative freedom'
As per new guidelines, while sitting, eating, walking and playing on the lawns is prohibited at all times, the hexagon lawns, surrounding the monument, have to be vacated entirely by 8pm, and the rest of the lawns have to be vacated by 9pm
Business mein toh loss ho raha hai: Vendors
Ramesh Singh, who has been selling ice cream at India Gate since 1980, told us, 'Mera poora jeewan yahan ice cream khilate hue nikla hai.
Ab log baith nahi paayienge. Main khush hoon iss area ko saaf dekh kar, lekin dil se hum ro rahe hain.'
'When people come to India Gate, their plan is to buy ice cream and enjoy it while sitting in the lawns. Some bring sheets and enjoy their ice cream, bhel puri and bhutta. Lekin ab joh log aa rahe hain, unhein kewal chalte rehna hoga. Business mein loss toh ho raha hai,' said Amit Kumar, another ice cream vendor. Pintu, a fruit seller, agrees, 'We are asked to leave the premises by 9pm.'
- Inputs from Riya Sharma
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