Like
I promised in my previous post about Shri
Bankey Bihari Ji Temple, Vrindavan I am now sharing my experience about the
local food and shopping.
Talking
about the food first, besides the more popular Brijwasi sweets, which is like the
Haldirams of Mathura, U.P. and Shree Rathnam which was earlier known as Sagar
Ratna(famous south Indian food chain) in some places, the local food market
offers a vast variety.
One
can literally find Dhokla (snack originated from the Indian state of
Gujarat) in every nook and corner and I mean it. From big shops to individual
vendors selling it on their carts, the Gujarati snack is readily available.
There
are small lanes that lead to Shri Bankey Bihari Ji Temple and they are full of
eateries selling, pav bhaji (Maharashtrian fast food dish), dhokla,
chaat (savoury snacks), tikki (fried potato cutlets) and sweet lassi
(yoghurt-based drink). The combination of tikki covered in sweet and
sour tamarind chutney (sauce), spicy mint chutney, topped with chole
(chickpeas) and lassi tops it all.
now don't you just feel like having one of these plates? |
Since
all these shops are always running on a full swing, the food you will get to
eat will always be fresh. The dhokla at these shops is generally warm
because it keeps selling and keeps coming in so there is absolutely no time to
cool it. Though I prefer my dhokla a little cold I must confess I absolutely
loved the lukewarm dhokla at this eating joint named Radhe Shyam Agrawal Pede Wale.
menu part-1 |
menu part-2 |
This
little boy handling money and food tokens behind the counter of the shop
intrigued me. I asked him if he goes to school and he answered with a “YES”. I was
glad.
kid behind the cash counter |
I chose
to have lassi from this small corner shop which had a board that read Brij ki Special Kesar Gulab Lassi. I am sure I made the man at the shop conscious by
clicking him more than once :p. But let me tell you Sir, you make amazing lassi.
I swear the lassi was so smooth in texture and so light with just the
perfect level of sweetness. The pure fresh cream on top of lassi beat
the phrase “the cherry on the cake”. I was so full after all the binging on the
chaat that I asked my sister to get just one glass which the two of us
could share. However, the moment we formed a white moustache with our first sip
we knew we would need another glass and so we did get one *BIG SMILE*.
my glass of lassi |
There
are too many sweet shops and these sweets in particular caught my eye.
Malpuas (Indian Dessert) + Rabri (Indian Dessert) = HEAVENLY COMBINATION
the tempting rabri...hungry? |
Now
coming to the local shopping scene, the small lanes of Vrindavan are occupied
with shops selling the garlands, idols of Lord Krishna, his outfits, accessories and even
bedding.
check out the colourful garlands |
idols of lord krishna and colourful headgears for him |
I myself
bought two dresses for the little Laddu Gopal (name given to Lord Krishna
during his childhood days) sitting in the cute little temple at my place.
Then
there are shops selling kurtas and t-shirts with prints of Lord Krishna on
them and with quotes like “I lost my heart in Vrindavan”. The price of these
t-shirts is the same across all shops and is fixed at Rs. 150. So there is no
scope to bargain (and if you have ever bargained at one of these shops and got
the t-shirt for a cheaper price, do let me know. I will probably work on my
bargaining skills then).
my new t-shirt (front) |
Quite
a lot of space on the roads of these narrow lanes is taken by small vendors
selling flutes, peacock feathers and fans made of these feathers.
The
local market in these lanes keeps buzzing. There is always a lot of hustle
bustle, a whiff of pure desi ghee (clarified butter) in the air and cows
poking you gently and saying hello (Watch and Walk).
P.S.: The credit for this post
goes to my mom who pushed me to blog about this experience while I was busy
binging on the chaat and lassi. Thank You Mother, for lending me your phone to take pictures and being my constant source
of inspiration *kisses*.
informative post !
ReplyDeletei am glad it is useful for the readers
DeleteMmmm the rabri brings back fond memories of going to my favorite temple in Vrindavan!
ReplyDeletei am sure...the rabri is sooo tempting specially with the syrupy malpuas
DeleteI love clicking pictures of street food and markets. Enjoyed this post! I share my travel stories on http://off-the-map-mytravelogue.blogspot.in
ReplyDeletei am glad you liked the post. i will surely visit your blog :)
DeleteThanx dear.i knew ur potential nd u see u have written the article in such a way that it is full of information for a person who wants to shop nd eat in vrindavan.u have given the tourists ,a vast choice.
ReplyDelete:)
DeleteThese tips proved very useful for me and for this, I really want to mention thanks for sharing it with us.
ReplyDelete