E-Paper
A walk down the puddled memory lane in tricity
Monsoon is probably almost everyone’s favourite season – not because of rain (because many hate it) but because of the fond memories it brings along
Monsoon is probably almost everyone’s favourite season – not because of rain (because many hate it) but because of the fond memories it brings along. Its earthy smell brings along memories of getting drenched in the season’s first shower, making paper boats, spotting rainbows, innumerable chai-pakora-jalebi parties and family antaksharis, among others. Actors from Chandigarh take a walk down memory lane and share their favourite ones:
Aparshakti Khurana
- No matter where I go, I will always be a Chandigarh boy at heart and what I miss the most about its monsoon is the feeling of relief from the scorching summer heat
- Early morning runs at Sukhna Lake
- Spontaneous drives to Kasauli and Dharampur with my school and college friends
- Binging on chicken and mutton dishes at Pal Dhabha, rajma chawal at Student Centre (PU) and Amritsari kulcha at Kulcha Hub, MDC
- And of course, gehris on Gehrhi Route and visiting Vijay Shake
Sahil Vedoliya
- The unique smell of the city’s monsoons
- Driving on the roads while listening to local radio stations playing melodious Punjabi songs
- Night gehris with the lights reflecting on the wet roads creating a picturesque scene
- Visiting Hotel Aroma for late-night binge sessions with friends
- Planning instant trips to Kasauli, Parwanoo, Barog and the Himalayan Expressway
Yamini Singh
- Going to Sukhna Lake to watch the rainfall fill it up; I could write so many poems sitting on the promenade
- The city’s green becoming greener. It always made me wonder how that’s even possible
- Bunking classes in college days to go triple-riding on the roads, splashing water, without a care in the world
- Going to the university canteen while it was pouring outside and enjoying chow mein with friends
- Going uphill to the timber trail with friends for a drive and getting the feel of nature
Simarjeet Singh Nagra
- In Mumbai what I miss the most is sitting with my family and having pakore, cheele and kheer prepared by my mother during the rain
- Long drives on the city roads while enjoying the greenery
- I miss enjoying authentic Punjabi food amid rain as it doesn’t taste the same in any other state
- I miss checking out new restaurants and cafes in tricity with my brothers, especially during the rain
- I miss visiting Nada Sahib, Singh Shaheedaan and Sector 8 gurdwara for some inner peace
Ranjit Punia
- There’s no match for the earthy smell of Chandigarh maybe because of the friends there
- Rushing uphill with friends on impromptu trips even after a slight drizzle
- Visiting nearby tourist spots with friends and partying in the monsoon evenings
- Visiting fields in Punjab and playing with friends as kids
- Being in villages while new crops were being sown after drizzle as the sight gave the feeling of home
Mita Vasisht
- I miss Chandigarh. Period. My monsoon Chandigarh was all about being out in the rain and enjoying it in real-time
- We would take out our bicycles and drive through the city for hours wearing shorts, t-shirts and shoes without socks to enjoy the rain
- We would visit Yankee Doodle at Sector 17, which was the only ice cream parlour in the city back them, dripping wet, to have ice creams
- I was a sailor and would visit Sukhna Lake to practice; during rains, we would scrub our boats clean
- During college days, when we owned mopeds, water would go into the spark plug during rain and we would keep removing and cleaning it
