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Zohran Mamdani serves chai as prize at end of NYC scavenger hunt

Zohran Mamdani’s scavenger hunt drew hundreds of enthusiasts to the streets of New York City on Sunday – with  finalists getting a chai as the final reward.

Published on: Aug 25, 2025, 10:06:31 IST
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Zohran Mamdani’s scavenger hunt drew hundreds of enthusiasts to the streets of New York City on Sunday. The New York City mayoral frontrunner announced the hunt Sunday in a video titled “Game On”, where he was filmed eating the same brand and flavour of potato chips that a campaign aide for Mayor Adams allegedly stuffed with money and handed to a reporter last week.

Zohran Mamdani meets participants of the scavenger hunt at Little Flower cafe in Astoria on August 24, 2025 in New York City. (Getty Images via AFP)
Zohran Mamdani meets participants of the scavenger hunt at Little Flower cafe in Astoria on August 24, 2025 in New York City. (Getty Images via AFP)

“I’ve got something to hide. A lot of things, in fact,” said Mamdani, munching on the potato chips as he announced the scavenger hunt.

A Zcavenger hunt in NYC

The hunt started outside the Society of Saint Tammany in Union Square, according to a report in The New York Post. Contestants were tasked with following “a series of clues, all related to a very particular theme in New York City history,” Mamdani said. The hunt concluded at a final location, where a prize awaited, though he promised it would not be cash.

The hunt proved so popular that volunteers ran out of cue cards for participants.

On X, participants used the hashtag #ZcavengerHunt as they moved from one location to the next with the help of their clues.

The final prize

Participants who made it to the end received a token prize – a cup of chai and a photo with Mamdani.

“While a photo and a chai was technically the prize at the end I think its important to point out that no one was really in it for a prize, the real takeaway was a great day exploring the city with everyone,” wrote X user Sarah Mia, who called it an enjoyable experience.

“Also at the end was QR codes to see what else to do in Astoria (including restaurant recommendations) and ways to get involved with the campaign. I just think it was both a smart campaign activity and a very enjoyable thing for anyone who got to join,” she added.

Another participant shared a photograph with the strawberry chai tea she got as the prize.

Mamdani supporter Jeremy Wilcox wrote: “The prize? A photo and a meet with the candidate himself (obviously), and a free iced chai (which Mamdani has said in interviews is his favorite drink in the neighborhood).”

Indian-origin Zohran Mamdani is the son of noted filmmaker Mira Nair and Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani. He had earlier hosted “Chai with Zohran” sessions throughout his campaign in an effort to connect with voters.

  • Sanya Jain
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Sanya Jain

    Sanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience - from viral videos to human interest copies that spark conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and looking for newsworthy angles to elevate viral posts into meaningful narratives. She was the first one, for example, to cover Narayana Murthy’s remark on 70-hour work weeks that sparked a national conversation. She is equally at ease writing about business leaders as about the common man, about issues of national importance and memes that amuse social media. Sanya enjoys speaking with content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs to transform everyday moments into engaging, slice-of-life stories that resonate with readers. When she is not working, Sanya can be found curled up with a good book. Born and raised in Lucknow, she has spent the last several years in Delhi. She is deeply interested in animal welfare and now spends a lot of her time running after her destructive orange cat.Read More