Nearly three scores and a century after the British tried Bahadur Shah II for treason, Shahjahanabad might not have the glory of its Mughal days. But Old Delhi is still the place to be on a Ramadan night for the sumptuous flavours of Mughlai cuisine, prepared by chefs who claim their lineage to the Mughal kitchens, and the kebabs, tikka and firni on the streets.
Giving it a second thought, it's not just the food that takes you back there every time. For all my soreness towards crowded streets, the narrow lanes of Chawri Bazar and Chandni Chowk with their overlapping human faces, numerous cycle rickshaws and youngsters who need to get their two-wheeler riding lessons straight have never been detterents. It's something from the past that draws you there, something that the 21st century lacks.
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| He could't hold on until dusk to take a bite |
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| The Iftar at Jama Masjid on one of the last days of the holy month of Ramadan. |
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| Believers leaving Jama Masjid after offering prayers and Iftar. |
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| The crowded streets outside Jama Masjid where old city's delicacies will get you drooling. |
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| Big fat eats. |
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| A shop that sells traditional sweets like firni, shahi tukda and varities of mango ice cream. |
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| Pensive-looking dry fruits seller. |
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| Nassem bhai's fried chicken and kebabs. |
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Hot, juicy, chicken tikka cooks on charcoal.
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| Sewai, sweets and a family business. |
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| Topiwala |
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| Sewai (vermicelli) is high on demand for various sweet recipes. |
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| And there is an overwhelming supply to meet that demand. |
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| They never seem to get enough of those expensive dry fruits. |
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| An old man offers namaz at Jama Masjid before Suhur - the meal consumed early in the morning before fasting. |
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| A calm Jama Masjid before believers start to flow in prior to Suhur. |
(Copyright Milan George Jacob)
