The Rajkot Diaries - Happy New Year

Some interesting sights from Rajkot on New Year's Day. A morning sunrise walk, a special juice at Race Course road, a tea stall stove, a namkin store that makes fresh ghatia, a board giving details of the sanitation inspector, a solo barber chair on the street, an old mansion and a mechanical contraption etc.

A glowing sun over the bridge - en route to the race course

A very interesting concoction

There are many people selling these interesting health concoctions and juices all around the race course road. The Municipality of Rajkot has cleared the road for walkers all round the race course and most of Rajkot's health conscious people descend on it. And there are these people selling stuff - this one had some 10 ingredients in it - tasted good too. 

 

Chai

The chai here is kadak and they pride themselves in it. It is continuously on the boil and tastes good. That red hot thing is where they put that vessel and make the tea I am thinking. Business is brisk - people have an option of drinking in glasses, cup and saucer, only saucer, only paper cup and so on. Many drink in saucers, slurping away. One day one old gentleman came and asked us to pay for his tea - we did.

Namkeen making

Namkeen and snacks are as Gujrathi as they can get. Breakfast is normally freshly made fafda and jalebi. I have always bought fafda in packed condition  but here they make it fresh. From dhokla, fafda, ghatia to all sorts of other snacks their shops are full of goodies. The best thing is that they make them right then and there. Like this gentleman is - standing in that little depressed space for him to make the savouries. The entire shop is clean, the process in front of your eyes. Can't ask for more.

Clean Rajkot

I liked this idea of displaying the number of the sanitation inspector. However they don't seem to be calling him or he is not responding - the place where we stayed needed some work. The idea is good though and I am sure has many improvements and benefits. 

Old Mansions

Check out that old mansion behind (and that jugaad vehicle in front as well). Rajko t is full of empty old mansions. They say the owners live in Mumbai and just keep these mansions under lock and key. Some of them look brilliant. This one was grand.

Barber shop

This solo barber shop was set up right next to our hotel. Mostly the chair and the mirror were there with no sign of the owner. One day we saw him but he was not looking very interested. Must be having his regular clientele. Been a long time since we saw something like this.

Thanks Rajkot. For the walks, the kadak chai, the ghatia, the jalebi, the paan, the health juice, the love and so much more.