MIDNIGHT MEALS FOR RAAS REVELLERS...................
With loudspeakers and lahriwalas now allowed to operate till Cinderella timing, Surat offers various options for what Gujaratis call,’nishachars’. There is something to suit every palate preference-
Dhokla dreams-For Surtis who love these semi sour spongy delights, an array of flavours and natural colours with fresh fenugreek, turmeric, lentils, corn, are dished out, steaming hot, at Raja food court on Ghodod road. Gritty textured Handvo with grated gourd, green tuver and freshly crushed spicy green chutney, along with other tongue tickling tasty treats like Bhel and Pani Puri, sev papdi and chaat for the adventurous minded. For more filling food, you may want to visit mini counters serving Rajwadi khichdi-kadhi, rotla and stuffed aubergines with wet garlic chutney. This modern day Khau gali also doles out interesting desserts like ice dish-a fancier version of the good old gola, topped with rabdi and dry fruit as well as creamy sancha ice cream delights.
Murgh mashallah-Non vegetarians can make a beeline for the by lane of Sagar restaurant at Chowk, other than Sagar’s popular Biryani boti hot pots, a tiny kiosk at a stone’s throw from there ,known as Raja chicken centre, offers freshly roasted , marinated birds. Charcoal grilled only to order, their meat retains its melt in the mouth quality unlike other chewy tangdis.The butter mari flavoured one is a lip smacking must have .Smoky savouries, tender tikkas can be relished as you await your order to be delivered. You could pick up a crisp naan from Sagar to make a kathi roll with kebabs from here. If appetite allows, one could also opt for the dum cooked, lightly spiced but rich in gluten flavour Raan.
Coffee ‘n’ crunchies-Now, with easy access off the lobby at The Gateway, the T3 lounge defies subtle 5 star boredom with its multi coloured ambience and offerings. Blueberry cheesecakes, scrumptious grilled feta cheese sandwiches, exotic multigrain Medeterrian fare and delicately flavoured teas as well as robust, single origin coffee, not to mention brownie cafe delights have been priced light, on round the clock menu for exhausted feet to come refresh and relax in cool comfort.
Ande ka funda-If eggs are what are on your mind, there can be no other place than Khau gali to whet your wanting. This age old favourite Surti street, where man and mangy dog alike eat away to heart’s content and beyond, concocts ‘Eggsquisite’ egg recepies prepared on stove heated tavaas. Made to order in butter or oil, it takes the good old baida to a different level altogether .Twin spatulas expertly handle delicious delicacies topped with signature Surti lilu lasan combined with tingly green chilli paste .From the regular kheema to rare boil fry, Surti slang special ‘ghotalo’ to exotic cheesy Austrian fry,all eggcellent!
Hindi Chinee bhai bhai-The new Food Express at Surat railway station operates 24/7 and has endless options for vegetarian foodies in search ‘Chindian’noodles, Manchurian and fried rice as well as masaledar Indian cuisine -Pav bhaji, Chole bhature and Moti dum biryani. Machine made ice-cream to beat the heat also available.

AROUND THE WORLD IN SURTI WAYS................
May,the month of mayhem-travel,exam results and mangoes has finally ended.Surtis who were away for most of it,are back.

Often ,I am told by many a migrant ,now settled in Tapi town ,that although they were not born here,they are now Surti to the core; since I sail in the same boat as them,I nod my head in complete agreement.

Our town has this magical magnetism that draws you towards it. So,when does one actually know that one has turned into a complete Surti?well,here are a few pointers. I am sure all of you out there will have your own experiences to add on-

You know you are Surti ...............

When you are walking the Orchard road in Singapore with its fancy stores and window displays but wishing you were caught in the chaotic crowd at Ghodod road, with friends instead.

when you are in Australia,surrounded by foul mouths but you know more bad words than they do and can make them go red in the face once you start off.

When you are trudging the cobbled paths of Brussels but thinking of how its shaded pavements are not as cool as our by lanes, lined with Mughal,Hindu,Persian and Dutch architecture.

When you are listening to the gush of the Niagara falls but pining to hear the rain patter off the asbestos on old city rooftops in Gopipura.

When you are tucking in fish and chips while watching the change of guard at Buckingham but hoping you can have bhajiyas at Dumas soon,as you peep through the creepers at the hidden palace of the Nawab of Sachin.

When you are the Louvre watching the art over the ages as the guide describes it and you wonder what fabulous potential the rangoli gals of Maniyara sheri have.

When you are cruising the magnificent Nile yet wondering if the Tapi is going to be as dry as you last saw it or in the danger of overflowing again this monsoon.

When you are appreciating pearls in HongKong but are in doubt as they closely seem to resemble the ones you saw at Choksi bazaar.

When you are watching IPL in South Africa but wondering how your buddies in Textile market will be betting over it.

When you are being served hash browns and Pecan pie in Texas but pining for khaman locho and gharis instead.

When the Chinese are showing you some exotic silk and you smile to yourself thinking how easily Pandesara will make it' the next big thing.'

When Amsterdam is in full bloom with its tulips and you yearn for the fragrance of country roses grown in Sachin.

When Antwerp has a grand display of royal crowns under high security and you smirk how casually our diamond traders and angadias handle precious stones.

When you are looking at the finest modern architecture in Dubai but wonder what the real estate rates at Piplod and Silent zone have gone up to.

Bottom line is,it does not matter whether you are in Syria or Scotland,Mexico or Malaysia,truth is,Surtipanu never leaves you.

Everybody has some place they call home,for Tapi towners,it will always be Surat.
Tapi town tattle-Other than ciggy packets ,what else should be printed with 'scorpian 'signs? Surti chimneys!

SUMMERTIME TREATS FOR TAPI TOWN TODDLERS.................
Hello mommies and daddies! Summer is here full swing and I bet you all have a hundred ideas up your sleeve for your little ones .There will be nineteen to the dozen activity classes available for your pre schoolers to attend.
Surti parents believe that their babies have the unbelievable power and capacity to learn any and everything before their age and time .Hence prenursery kids attend ‘tuition’ for learning stuff.
Truth is, the poor little rich kids are just looking for a place to be themselves. They are tired of nose wax moulding lessons from their maids, foul language classes from their drivers, amidst other creative activities .So; here are a few places that you can take your cherubic charmer around in our town, to improve their motor skills and spend moments of joy with your precious ones.
TRAFFIC PARK-Easily the safest place for your little love to safely ride a tricycle, bycycle with ease and learn a thing or two about traffic rules as well. With a cute little statue of a traffic policeman to welcome you, the cycles available there are nothing to write home about but the good news is that you are allowed to carry your own. Built like a little Noddy Toyland with bridges, bus stops, blinking traffic signals, amongst greenery, it is one place where toddlers and teens can enjoy the freedom of riding. A huge sign board displays and explains road traffic signs that we Surtis definitely need to learn.
SARTHANA ZOO-Alright before you twitch that nose, let me tell you the animals here are no less a visual treat than the ones at the Singapore zoo. We could do with a better bus to take us around and more shady places to relax in, but the friendly animals more than make up for the lack of facilities. Take a map from the office and do a jungle trail with your toddler. The otters here are the friendliest and put up a sweet show. The leopards, lions are majestic, the bears and birds a visual treat as are the deers and antelopes. While at the zoo, do make it a point to visit the butterfly park. Although we do not have many species in there yet, the cooling waterfall and beautiful, colourful foliage is worth a visit.
AQUAIRIUMS-Agreed we do not have one yet.But, there are shops that sell fishes and aquariums all around town.Piplod, Old Umra, Ghodod road, Chowk bazaar, all have a multicoloured collection of swishy delights .Let the young ones watch in wonder as they learn colours, movement and rhythm from their underwater freinds.Teach them about fish food and take a gold fish or two back home for them to care for.
Whether it’s the play pen at Iskcon mall, sand castles at Dumas opposite the Universal Mother statue, playing catch while watching squirrels at Udyaan, Chowpatty, take your toddler out in the sunshine this summer for freedom and fun under the Sun.
Tapi Town Tattle- Which song are all Netas singing for this election? ’Abhi toh mein jawaan hoon!’

SINGLE MALTS VS SURTI BATLIS...........
With state of the art golf grounds planned to sprout up around Tapi town, in Hazira and Navsari, the Lala lobby is set to take tee for two lessons so that they may score a birdie and put one –in –the hole, before their business rivals do.Internationally, Scotland is known as the ‘Home of Golf’ but of course, it is more popular for its prime product, Scotch whiskey, especially single malts.

’Whiskey’ comes from the Latin root word aqua vitae meaning ‘water of life’.Surat’s water of life is definitely the Tapi, our purans state’ Tapi nu jaman ne Kashi nu maran’,its waters are known for lending taste to all Surti food and drink. The single malts of Scotland are bifurcated by their regions, speyside- that makes the smoothest, most outstanding malts, followed by highlands, lowlands and Islay. Surat has no such distinction; all its areas are popular for making their special Surti treats, be it Ved road or Harinagar.

Scotland has the largest variety of Scotch in the world while Surat along with food, is also home to the widest choice in bubbly drinks. [Cola not champagne, silly] Not only do we have India’s oldest, fizzy products to please Surti palates but also the most innovative ones like ‘falsa’,’pineax’,’kafura’. ’Batlis’ as Surtis call it, are bottles of soft drinks, available through town in different avtaars.

It is difficult to get your hands on authentic single malt and in our case of a dry state, legally impossible as well. Surti ‘batlis’ however, are available nineteen to the dozen from Adajan to Bhagal, Varaccha to Dumas, and Piplod to Ring road. Crates of chilled fizz are easily found in all nooks and corners of the city. Also known as’Thanda peena’,’colddrinks’’mickcher’,’sodalemon’etc., locally, they have found their way into paan shops and road side kiosks as well. Best served chilled, they rest on raw ice from Nanpura’s Machiwaad ice factories.

The biggest complication with single malts is the way their names are pronounced, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet,Glenmorangie,Lagavulin,Talsiker etc.Surti batlis have no fuss fizz names, in Kashmira, citrola,ginlim,try,santrola,jirola,jira mari,..........unending names and flavours you may call out at your will, whim and fancy. Although we do not have high or low lands after which malts are named, traffic islands in Tapi town are named after our batlis like Sosyo circle, Parle Point circle etc.

While malts, an acquired taste, ask for Sushi,Oyesters,dark Swiss chocolate, Cuban cigars, fancy ambience, glasses that are the correct size, a good book to browse and need to be ‘nosed ‘to enjoy their smoky flavours, Surti colas can be had anytime ,anywhere, with any cuisine, preferably directly from the bottle. We have appetizers, and digestive drinks as well as some that go superbly well to wash down Gujarati gourmet meals.

The process of manufacturing single malt takes years to get it to develop its peaty taste, in the full bodied barrel that the barley is stored in. Surti batlis are instantly made at Bhatar with handmade soda bottle makers, where you can have a ‘kanchey wali’ marble sealed, kala khatta ,kesri or jaljira batli,multi flavours also made by Hil-Mil ,Prince ,He-man ,Ganesh and Simla in old city areas.

An enterprising, young, Surti entrepreneur, now in London, is going to provide authentic single malts online, with a door step delivery anywhere in India. Surtis will take satisfaction in the fact that Seep cold drinks and juice centre; will continue to serve their prime batli product-‘Pepiyo piyo, mast jeevo.’

TAPI TOWN TATTLE-What did the downslide of share markets and real estate make Surti Lalas do? Get back to business, Spin more yarn!

CHOWK TO CHANDNI CHOWK, CITY’S CHANGING CENTRES....
Ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui and Indian Vaastushastra state southwest as the direction of wealth and prosperity. Believers often cite South Mumbai and Singapore being prosperous for the same reason. Back home, our city has been changing its centre over the years and interestingly so, as it prospers, it’s heading South Westward.
During the days of yore, Chowk was the main city square. Roads from here, spread out to the Mughal caravan Sarai, to entry/exit points of the walled city, Katargaam darwaja, Lal darwaja, Delhi gate, Majuragate, and the only bridge over the Tapti then, Hope pul.Naginchand hall was home to Andrews library; also, a venue where plays like Shakespeare’s ‘taming of the shrew’ were enacted in their Gujarati adaptation, ’Firangi nathari thekaane avi’by a Parsi theatre group. Chowk Bazaar chaklo was the main market, Chautapul, Bhagal, Zhampa later developed as markets for trade, fruits, vegetables and jewellery.
The core area around the fort was inhabited by prosperous businessmen, officers of the governing body and their serving staff. The inner circumference , which consisted of the ‘puras’ Gopipura,Haripura,Salabatpura,Nanavat were the residential areas of the rich Vaniyas , Jains, money changers[nanavatis]and Parsis, then there were the ‘falias’Sonifalia,Wadifalia,etc.consisting of various traders and beyond these, the outer circumference of ‘waads’Golwaad,Bohra waad of the self contained ,Bohra,Gola communities.
Close by was the Asurbeg chaklo better known as Makkaipul [bridge to Mecca], a busy area during Akbar’s regime. The Navdi Ovara from here was the point from where the Hajjis boarded their ships for Mecca; Surat was known as’ bunder-e-khoobsurat’ [beautiful port]. Makkaipul has the main fish market, as well as oldest bakery in town, Dotiwala. Important roads from this point, later lead to newly developed destinations like the Rang Upvan amphitheatre, Gandhibaug, Dutch Garden and GPO and further on to’ Bahumali,’[multi-storeyed] the old court building.
Later, Athwagate turned the centre of a modern, newly emerging Surat.’Athwa’stands for the eighth gate of the walled city. This new Surat had in its vicinity Chowpatty garden, a swimming pool, the circuit house and residence quarters of the Police and government officers. It also had Athwa general store, a single unit stationary cum grocery shop that went on to become a household name in Surat. Schools and colleges started sprouting up too through Athwalines which ran south-westward.
With time, Parle Point and its high street shop culture took over.Bunglows and apartments here were much sought after. It became the Surti suburban dream destination. It had bigger roads, shops and homes than any other in town .Franchisee outlets of branded goods added to the market value .This area became the centre point for other suburbs such as Citylight, Ghodod, Maskati and the old Umra jakat [octroi] naka.
Present day, Piplod, Chandni Chowk, with its upcoming fancy apartments, gigantic temples, mall mania, multiplexes and better planned roads is the next heir to be crowned centre. Surtis on their Sunday trip to Dumas pass by here. This is the area that has the road which leads to the city airport, whose future shines bright in every Surti’s mind. And who knows, once that turns busy, we might just turn good old Dumas into Surat central someday.
It’s here where the Tapti, that runs by all of the afore mentioned places merges into the Arabian Sea, our city’s Southwest endpoint.
TAPI TOWN TATTLE-Talented India’s slums are good enough to turn producers’ millionaires and win Oscar nominations-Jai Ho!

SINGAPORE SLING, SURTI STYLE……
Whoa! Hold on people before you rush to get your cocktail shakers and potent mixtures. This is not the recipe for a desi version of Singapore’s signature drink. This one is about Tapi town’s wishlist.Ever since the town has been marching towards steady growth and progress faster than most others cities of the world and has been referred to as Gujarat’s financial capital, many Surtis have been seeing the dream of ‘Surat banshey Singapore’. What if Surat were to be Singapore?
Here are some places around town that can be converted to look like the most popular spots of the world’s financial capital…..err, almost…………..
Adajan-Sentosa Island: Since we do have SMC’s much awaited underwater world project coming up here which promises to be bigger and better than the one in Sentosa. To achieve a more authentic approach, we can take a boat ride or construct a cable car ropeway to access it just like Sentosa. Adajan also has a long stretch of land overlooking the Tapi waters where water games and a sound and laser light show can be organized. But Sentosa now has majestic, state of the art, swanky casinos being constructed on it by the owners of Genting highlands, which the law of our land will not permit. So its tough luck for us Surtis.

Tapi river promenade-Clarke quay, Boat quay: The hot n happening place for young tarangs.Music, masti and magic. Till the wee hours of the morning, this place is rocking with its pubs and clubs along the Singapore River. Barbeque and beer along with shooters and hooters are what keeps Clarke Quay flowing with crowds. With SMC planning a riverside promenade by the Tapti in place of the present slums, we could convert it in Clarke Quay, but, wait a minute; booze is taboo in Tapi town so we will have to dampen our spirits and give this a miss as well.

Ghodod Road-Orchard road: Singapore’s famous street that boasts of the world’s best labels from one end to another. Dior and Vuitton rub shoulders with Ferragamo and Chanel. Not to mention the fancy restaurants where the crème de la crème stop by for a quick bite. Our ghodod road is a hotspot haven for shoppers too but it houses scores of unpretentious, tiny shops that do brisk business selling replicas and has hawkers who prepare chatpata sevpuri and yummy vadapav.I have a bad feeling that Takashimaya, Tangs and Robinsons do not have exactly that kind of neighbourhood in mind to branch out; lest they commit a fashion faux pas.

Sarthana zoo- Singapore zoo-This one is pretty close since the Singapore zoo is home to a lot of Indian animals. We also have an enviable butterfly park and aviary in the making. The hindrance here dearies is the timing of the zoo. Whilst Singapore allows visitors from early morning through the day and shares part of its premises for the night safari too, our sarthana zoo functions only for hours few. Singapore’s zoo is one of its highest profit raising tourist spots with animal shows and souvenir shopping provisions; whilst ours will need steep funds and high maintenance to survive ever rising costs.

Dumas-Marina Bay view –Well, we could have resorts planned here and hotels with a view to the Arabian Sea .A Merlion spouting water would be out of question considering the poor dear could choke on the often found dead Dumas fish. Sun bathing, beach volleyball and surfing would be on the Surtis to-do list. Alas! Dearies both you and I know for a fact that dear old Dumas is a beach sans any sand. So unfortunately, this one does not qualify for a makeover like the much in demand reclaimed bay view land.

Surti Flyovers-Singapore Flyer: I know it is not a 360degree panoramic view of our town from atop our ever collapsing man made blunders, but we do have a 365 day access to picnic and stroll over our various flyovers. Surtis visit their flyovers and bridges every Sunday, to park and party the evening away. Unfortunately, after hoardings have been used to hoard bombs, our popular party spots are right now off limits and there is scarce scope to view the town leisurely from over them.

Whether Chautapul becomes China town or Malls turn into Mustafa Centre remains to be seen. All we are left with for now is the dream of an entirely clean, green, Surat. The closest thing we have to Singapore at present is the Singapore Ni wadi in Rustumpura; where the khatri community [that has many N.R.I. s in Singapore] proudly celebrates all its happy occasions.
Frankly, methinks Surat is great the way it is. After all said and done, if Surtis really want it to, Surat surely can be Singapore some day; the question is can Singapore be Surat for a day?