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Contents January 4 - 17 2013 Next issue out on January 18, 2013 Cover story Walk on water The Yamuna is polluted, yes, but we’re not going to cry you a river. Instead, we navigate you to the many offbeat sights along Delhi’s waterfront. These include forgotten tombs, peace- ful shrines, assorted ghats, bird ALMIKI sanctuaries and an elephant B camp. Just go with the flow. MANIT O mere majhi Boatmen at Qudsia Ghat Feature Food & Drink Dance Nightlife 16 Public act 51 Masterchef cookbook 81 Events 101 Hilight Tribe Parallel Cities coaxes per- Reader’s digest Jamie’s Courses New bars Halfway House, formance art out of public 15 Minute Meals, The Kitchen Az Bar spaces. Diaries II, Pastry, Three DJ listings Good Things Clubs, bars and lounges Reviews Espresso Grill, Blue 20 Bright constellations Door Café Film We list Ustad Zakir Hussain’s Goli Vadapav 82 Five Pankaj Kapur best collaborations before Appetisers performances Theatre his concert this fortnight. Hot tables Reviews Hansa, Jack Reacher, The Impossible, 110 Bharat Rang 22 Rough magic Other film screenings Mahotsav Footsbarn Travelling Theatre DVD reviews The What’s on where stages Indian Tempest at Around Town Amazing Spider-Man, Bharat Rang Mahostav. 64 Lohri celebrations Total Recall Events 24 Dogg fight Quote of the Indian rappers and reggae artists talk about Snoop Art Kids Dogg’s new avatar as Snoop 68 Nemai Ghosh: Satyajit 93 Toy libraries fortnight Lion prior to his performance. Things to do Ray and Beyond Three questions with... “When you Rohit Chawla Live preview Pondicherry have a country Regulars Review Moving Korea Gay & Lesbian 8 Fortnightly agenda Exhibitions 95 Jeff Roy’s film project in denial of its 10 Inbox Events culture, then you 12 Dilli Gate have a cultural 114 After words Books Music 78 Reviews The Mirror of lobotomy.” Wonders and other tales, 97 Mekaal Hasan Band Sweet Tooth, Mr Majestic: Live previews Sameehan See page 98 Lifestyle The Tout of Bengaluru, How Kashalkar 43 Travel bags It Happened, Fairy Tales from Book reviews Mohammmed ON The Cover Label we love Bhane the Brothers Grimm Rafi – My Abba – A Memoir Photograph by Manit Balmiki Check out Poetry & readings Concerts 6 www.timeoutdelhi.net January 4 – 17 2013 Contents 001.indd 6 12/28/2012 9:16:48 PM Over troubled water Cities usually consider a river to be a blessing, but us Dilliwalas tend to turn our backs to ours. We hold our breath while driving across the Yamuna, thoughtlessly discharge our waste into it, pour concrete over its banks and, during the occasional festival, dump statues, diyas and other religious paraphernalia into its choked waters. This fortnight, we invite you to walk to the water rather than shun it, with a series of guided strolls over and around five of the city’s road bridges, from Wazirabad to Okhla. Delhi does its best to kill the Yamuna, but take a closer look – our riverbanks are surprisingly alive. Photography by Manit Balmiki. January 4 – 17 2013 www.timeoutdelhi.net 29 CoverStory 002.indd 29 12/28/2012 5:07:41 PM Wazirabad Bridge Wrestlers and rumours everal interesting landmarks dot the said. “In the mud arena – which is more popu- river between the ISBT-Shastri Park lar in rural areas – we get paid.” SBridge at Kashmere Gate and the new After a brief stop at nearby Majnu Ka Tilla “Signature Bridge” coming up near the Wazira- (hot, sweet gurudwara halwa on a cold morn- bad Bridge. However, it’s tough to actually walk ing an admitted draw), we headed to New Aru- this route because of all the construction and na Nagar, the Tibetan refugee colony famous blocked access to the water, so we’d recom- for its momos, chang, and for being a one-stop mend travelling between points by auto or taxi shop for everything under the sun from the (parking isn’t much fun either). roof of the world. Where else could you find A couple minutes’ drive from the Civil Lines the latest season of Korean TV comedy My Metro Station, we began our day at Chandgi Princess, a traditional chuba and a Dalai Lama Ram Akhara, one of the NCR’s premier wres- T-shirt, all on the same corner? We skipped tling schools. Ram was a legend of Indian local fave Tibetan Dhaba (“Tee Dee”) to try out wrestling – a gold medallist at the 1970 Asian the recently opened New Hot Yak Restaurant. Games, a Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee, It wasn’t as hot as we hoped, though perhaps and one of the first supporters of wom- we weren’t adventurous enough with our en’s wrestling in India. Fittingly, the E CLASS orders (the menu lists such exotica akhara he founded has provided as black fungus and sautéed large According to the training to several top wrestlers Central Pollution intestines). of both sexes since its incep- Control Board, Yamuna Even if you wanted to, it’s impos- tion in 1975. water is “Class E”, which sible to ignore the fact that this is After Ram’s death in 2010, means that it’s unfit even a colony established by a people for animal bathing. two of his children, wrestlers The water is fit only whose presence here has tragic Jagdish and Sonika Kaliraman, for industrial overtones. In the square in front of took over the ropes. We ran into cooling. the Tantric Buddhist Cultural Society Sonika, who took us around the Office, there’s a small, candle-lit display gymnasium with a steam room, the indoor that says, chillingly: “92 self-immolations stadium for bouts and practice, and the tradi- this year”. tional mud pit outside. Though morning prac- You can access the river from the back of tice was over (it begins at 6am, whatever the the Tibetan colony, but there’s not much to see season), she asked a few of the pahalwans (the pontoon bridge here is only linked when to demonstrate their warm-up routines. One the water level is high). shimmied up a 12-foot rope, another dragged So we set off towards the Wazirabad Bridge a plough-like wooden slab called a kudhal to find thetomb of Shah Alam, a 14th-century across the akhara’s dry, fine mud. Though fight saint who lived during the reign of Feroze practice has mostly shifted indoors in recent Shah Tughlaq. Inside a small, gated complex years, they haven’t completely abandoned the scattered with elderly gentlemen and school old-style outdoor bouts. “In mat competitions, kids was the tomb: a domed structure with pil- we get medals and recognition,” Kaliraman lars – not grandiose, but well maintained. The LE A IKI (3)IKI C S LM A T B T NI A P NOT TONOT P A M Alam belle Shah Alam’s tomb M 30 www.timeoutdelhi.net January 4 – 17 2013 CoverStory 002.indd 30 12/28/2012 5:09:19 PM Pit stop A wrestler training at Chandgi Ram Akhara Blowin’ in the wind The riverside park at New Aruna Nagar, Majnu Ka Tilla complex has been closed to the public for two sive club with a guard at its grilled gates. The years now, amid rumours that it housed both friendly staff gave us a guided tour. Of particular a mosque and a temple. (A representative interest was a magnificent man-made lake cov- from the ASI told us that though this theory ered with birds. It started out as a cricket field, may be credible, the compound was closed after which water was pumped in, fish imported down due to it being frequented by “unlawful and artificial islands built. Soon, migratory birds elements”.) Nonetheless, we were shown like red-crested pochards, great cormorants around by the gatekeeper and Raja Babu, a and northern shovellers started coming in from local conspiracy theorist who tried to convince Europe, China and Siberia. Drop by if you like us that there was never any tomb here at all; birds, butterflies or botany, and carry a pair of that the government had made the story up in binoculars for a glimpse of what the Yamuna the interests of communal harmony. ecosystem could be like if cared for properly. Across the road from Shah Alam’s tomb is Anugya Chitransh and Uday Bhatia Sur Ghat. There’s a government-maintained swimming pool on its banks, where they sup- posedly change the water every three days. Where to go It didn’t look especially fresh, but that didn’t Chandgi Ram Akhara Dr KB Hedgewar Marg, stop a group of kids from splashing about – at Civil Lines. m Civil Lines. least it was cleaner that the river. From here, Majnu Ka Tilla Outer Ring Road, opposite GT A H you do get a nice view of the Signature Bridge Road intersection. N I S coming up. The much-delayed project, slated A Shah Alam’s Tomb Mangal Pandey Marg, BY to open late this year, will connect Outer Ring opposite Sur Ghat, Wazirabad. S N IO Road with the beautifully named Khajoori Sur Ghat Mangal Pandey Marg,Wazirabad. Khas on the eastern side. Yamuna Biodiversity Park Jharoda Majra, near trat From here, it’s a worthwhile drive to the Yamu- Jagatpur, Wazirabad (2761-6569). Mon-Sat ILLUS na Biodiversity Park, which looks like an exclu- 9am-5pm. January 4 – 17 2013 www.timeoutdelhi.net 31 CoverStory 002.indd 31 12/28/2012 5:09:53 PM hat movie but Deewar could be play- ing to a rapt matinee audience on an Weight-inch TV inside a nondescript Old Yamuna Bridge tea shop by the river? Angry young Amitabh held the attention of the dozen or so men who had parked their rickshaws and settled down Girders and ghats to while away a lazy afternoon hour, courtesy a DTH satellite on a lone stone slab outside.