Since December last year, when the Delhi High Court (HC) directed civic authorities to act against food establishments operating without required approvals, food hub, Majnu ka Tila aka MKT has seen an unusual surge. Back then, Justice Gadela had remarked: “Ensure that it’s done. Half of the DU (Delhi University) students are there.”
Now, viral Reels show packed lanes and queues of youngsters outside cafés alongside first-time visitors who are feeling the urge to tick-off their long-pending pit stops. The reason for urgency: visit now, before anything changes!
Student footfall doubles up
“This has been a DU hub for generations,” adds Siddharth Kumar, a final-year student of Kirori Mal College. “Every passing-out batch recommends places here. From dates and birthdays to study sessions, this is our stop in the city.”
Adding to this sentiment, Ritika Shah, a second-year student of Ramjas College, shares, “You never know when action might start, so we’ve been coming here at least twice a week. We even have a WhatsApp group just for sharing food discoveries, and Majnu ka Tila dominates it. For us, the DU experience will feel incomplete without trips here.”
Surge in food walks
It's notjust the regular students but even foodies from across NCR who have taken into account the possibility of this market's makeover of sorts. Confirming a sudden spike in the interest of residents, for exploring this part of North Delhi, Delhi-based walk curator Anuj Bhatia shares: “The slots for our food walks curated at Majnu ka Tila are filling up much faster now, so we’re adding more dates. It's true that people want to experience the place properly while they can.”
{{/usCountry}}It's notjust the regular students but even foodies from across NCR who have taken into account the possibility of this market's makeover of sorts. Confirming a sudden spike in the interest of residents, for exploring this part of North Delhi, Delhi-based walk curator Anuj Bhatia shares: “The slots for our food walks curated at Majnu ka Tila are filling up much faster now, so we’re adding more dates. It's true that people want to experience the place properly while they can.”
{{/usCountry}}
Contingency plans
Meanwhile, café owners are preparing for compliance and not taking the HC's directive lightly. “If authorities ask us to make changes, we are ready. But relocating would mean starting from scratch. This is our livelihood. We’ve been here for over 10 years,” says a manager at Nor Yak Cafe.
At Busan Korean Restaurant, “people walk in saying they’ll miss our food,” notes a staffer, adding, “We are scouting other locations, asking customers to stay connected through our social media for updates.”
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