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Time of India
11 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Varanasi bid goodbye to iconic Lanka eateries: 115-year-old Chachi Ki Kachori and Pahalwan Lassi shops demolished
VARANASI: The famous joints of three Banarasi delicacies -- lassi, kachori and paan -- have lost their iconic address forever. Pahalwan Lassi, Chachi Ki Kachori and Mahendra's Banarasi Paan Shop on Lanka trisection -- the go to places for tourists and natives alike for decades, were removed during a road-widening drive late Tuesday evening. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A team of PWD razed 35 shops in the area for the conversion of Vijaya crossing-Lanka-Bhikharipur-Lahartara Road into a four-lane road. The PWD officials told TOI that maximum work on this Rs 215-crore project was complete and work only in a few patches in Lanka was pending. According to PWD officials, the shops were situated on land owned by the Ramlila Samiti headed by Sankat Mochan Temple's Mahant Prof Vishwamabhar Nath Mishra. The Samiti had been paid the compensation for the land and all the shops had been served notices a month ago to vacate the place. Hence, no protest was staged, as the agency completed its work by Wednesday early morning. The only exception was an outburst of emotions by Prabhu, the owner of Pahalwan Lassi, reaching his shop, hands folded, but he was also taken away from the spot by his brothers. The images of debris and dusty Lanka Trisection neighbourhood that went viral on Wednesday morning, however, made people across the globe nostalgic. Many social media users started sharing the old pictures of these shops. Former general secretary of Banaras Hindu University Students Union, Bhupendra Pratap Singh Rintu, shared memories of the 115-year-old Chachi ki Kachori shop, saying, "Student union leaders of the past, like Jammu and Kashmir's Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and former MP Bharat Singh, used to pester the woman vendor, addressing her as 'Chachi' and how she used to lace her serving of kachori-jalebi with the choicest expletives. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now We took her abusive language as a blessing because actually she loved us and after her death, her sons and grandsons have been running the shop." Former BHU student, Ajay Singh, spoke about celebrities and politicians who visited Pahalwan's shop for lassi topped with rabri. The shop's owner, Brijesh Yadav, said nobody forced them to quit and the shop was likely to be reopened near Mahendru hostel building on Lanka-Sankat Mochan temple road. Chachi's son Kailash has already set up shop in Kabir Nagar and plans a kiosk opposite his old shop. Mahendra's famous paan shop is being run by his grandson Ravi Mishra from his house in Prafull Nagar. Mishra said, "District administration sought cooperation for road expansion to ease increasing traffic load and we only wanted to ensure the Ramlila tradition was not affected." Meanwhile, portions of Rohania police station and other buildings were razed by PWD on Wednesday to facilitate completion of Mohansarai-Cantt 6-lane road project.
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Chachi Ki Kachori, Pahalwan Lassi lose iconic Lanka address
1 2 Varanasi: The famous joints of three Banarasi delicacies -- lassi, kachori and paan -- have lost their iconic address forever. Pahalwan Lassi, Chachi Ki Kachori and Mahendra's Banarasi Paan Shop on Lanka trisection -- the go to places for tourists and natives alike for decades, were removed during a road-widening drive late Tuesday evening. A team of PWD razed 35 shops in the area for the conversion of Vijaya crossing-Lanka-Bhikharipur-Lahartara Road into a four-lane road. The PWD officials told TOI that maximum work on this Rs 215-crore project was complete and work only in a few patches in Lanka was pending. According to PWD officials, the shops were situated on land owned by the Ramlila Samiti headed by Sankat Mochan Temple's Mahant Prof Vishwamabhar Nath Mishra. The Samiti had been paid the compensation for the land and all the shops had been served notices a month ago to vacate the place. Hence, no protest was staged, as the agency completed its work by Wednesday early morning. The only exception was an outburst of emotions by Prabhu, the owner of Pahalwan Lassi, reaching his shop, hands folded, but he was also taken away from the spot by his brothers. The images of debris and dusty Lanka Trisection neighbourhood that went viral on Wednesday morning, however, made people across the globe nostalgic. Many social media users started sharing the old pictures of these shops. Former general secretary of Banaras Hindu University Students Union, Bhupendra Pratap Singh Rintu, shared memories of the 115-year-old Chachi ki Kachori shop, saying, "Student union leaders of the past, like Jammu and Kashmir's Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and former MP Bharat Singh, used to pester the woman vendor, addressing her as 'Chachi' and how she used to lace her serving of kachori-jalebi with the choicest expletives. We took her abusive language as a blessing because actually she loved us and after her death, her sons and grandsons have been running the shop." Former BHU student, Ajay Singh, spoke about celebrities and politicians who visited Pahalwan's shop for lassi topped with rabri. The shop's owner, Brijesh Yadav, said nobody forced them to quit and the shop was likely to be reopened near Mahendru hostel building on Lanka-Sankat Mochan temple road. Chachi's son Kailash has already set up shop in Kabir Nagar and plans a kiosk opposite his old shop. Mahendra's famous paan shop is being run by his grandson Ravi Mishra from his house in Prafull Nagar. Mishra said, "District administration sought cooperation for road expansion to ease increasing traffic load and we only wanted to ensure the Ramlila tradition was not affected." Meanwhile, portions of Rohania police station and other buildings were razed by PWD on Wednesday to facilitate completion of Mohansarai-Cantt 6-lane road project.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Varanasi's iconic Pahalwan Lassi and 100-year-old Chachi Ki Kachori shops demolished; Owner Manoj Yadav watched silently
Why Pehelwan Lassi and Chachi Ki Kachorishops were removed Shopkeepers react as bulldozers arrive — Benarasiyaa (@Benarasiyaa) — Benarasiyaa (@Benarasiyaa) Live Events Pehelwan Lassi: A Varanasi staple for decades Chachi Ki Kachori: A taste from the past now gone Shops belonged to temple trust, compensation to follow What's next (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Authorities in Varanasi reportedly demolished 30 shops late Tuesday night near the Lanka crossing area, including two of the city's most iconic food outlets, the 75-year-old Pehelwan Lassi shop and the 108-year-old Chachi Ki Kachori , as part of a road widening project. As per local media reports, the move is part of a Rs 241.80 crore plan to build a 9.512 km four-lane road from Lahartara to Vijaya Mall. Officials have confirmed that compensation will be given to those Public Works Department had marked the shops and houses for demolition a month ago after carrying out land measurements. The stretch, which runs through Bhelupur and Lanka, is frequently congested. The government decided to expand the road to reduce traffic jams in the the demolition began, Pehelwan Lassi's owner Manoj Yadav stood silently in front of his shop, folded his hands in prayer, bowed to the ground, and watched as the bulldozer brought the structure down. Other shopkeepers rushed to remove shutters and electric meters before the demolition began. Many expressed concern about their shopkeeper said, 'We don't know how we will manage our business from now on. Shops these days are available at rents starting from ₹20,000 to ₹25,000 per month, which is unaffordable for most of us.'Established 75 years ago, Pehelwan Lassi was famous not only in the city but also among international tourists from countries like the US, Australia, and Japan. It served eight types of lassi priced between ₹30 and ₹180, prepared in traditional clay cups with a mix of curd, cream, and shop was located slightly ahead of the Lanka crossing towards Assi. It had earned praise from several prominent leaders including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath , Home Minister Amit Shah, Smriti Irani, and former CM Akhilesh famous outlet that was demolished is Chachi Ki Kachori, a 108-year-old eatery known for its double-layered asafoetida and lentil-filled kachoris served with pumpkin curry and matka jalebi on leaf plates. Long lines were a regular sight outside the shop had its own unique identity — known as the only place where kachoris were served with sharp-tongued remarks from the late 'Chachi,' which became part of its local charm. Bureaucrats, politicians, chefs, film celebrities, and YouTubers all visited the the demolished shops were owned by the family of the head priest of the Sankat Mochan Temple and were rented out to vendors. The district administration has confirmed that all affected shopkeepers will be compensated. A survey is currently underway to determine the of the widened road is expected to begin shortly. The stretch has long been a traffic bottleneck. While authorities hope the project will ease congestion, many displaced vendors are still uncertain about where they will restart their businesses.
