A Home Away from Home

Delhi is in itself a microcosm of India. With the flavourful taste of every culture and tradition, both national and international, Delhi is a melting pot of ethnicities. One such place that enthrals its visitors every time is Delhi's, Little Tibet or Majnu Ka Tilla.
The Buddhist Monastery in Majnu Ka Tilla; Image Source- Shols Blog

The Buddhist Monastery in Majnu Ka Tilla; Image Source- Shols Blog

I was basking in the glory of rare sunshine amidst the unforgiving Dilli ki Sardi. My mind drifted onto the good ol' days of hanging out around the North Campus with my friends. I had to give some credit to my best friend, Manya, the zealous explorer. That's when my ringtone went off, alerting me of a phone call. Speak of the devil, and she shall appear. It was a call from Manya.

We dove into heartfelt chitchat in no time. Discussing our now flop college life prompted me to mention our all-time favourite hangout spot, Majnu Ka Tilla. "I still remember the last time we went there. Albeit it was a last-minute plan, we had so much fun," I asserted with a bitter-sweet feeling.

And that's all it took for Manya, the dutiful historian, to dive into retelling the story of Majnu Ka Tilla.

"The legend says that during the reign of the Delhi Sultans, Abdullah aka, Majnu, a local Sufi mystic, lived on a mound (or Tilla) by the Yamuna river. Majnu's kindness and warmth led him to provide free service of ferrying people across the river.

On one fine day, Majnu had the honour of ferrying Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The latter was impressed by the young lad's perseverance and ended up extending his stay.

Later in history, Baghel Singh Dhaliwal, a Sikh military leader, commissioned the Majnu Ka Tila Gurudwara to commemorate Guru Nanak's visit and Majnu's benevolence. And that's how the area consisting of three or more colonies came to be known as Majnu Ka Tilla."

Before Manya could babble on, I reminded her of the tale of Tibetians settling in the colony around the 1960s. "The insurgence of the Tibetians in 1959 witnessed a sudden influx of refugees in north India. With Dalai Lama settling in Dharamshala, other refugees looked forward to a steady roof. The Sino-Indian War of 1962 further emphasised the issue of refugees. That's when the government of India allotted the area near Majnu Ka Tilla for refugee camps.

Over time, a steady flow of Tibetians trickling into the colonies of New Aruna Nagar, made the neighbourhood their permanent residence. "

I mournfully romanticised, "The foodie in me still craves the taste of various street foods from Laphing, Churpis (dried cheese) to herbal tea and more. Chilling and bunking the day away at aesthetic cafes and restaurants seem like ancient history."

Following the tangent of my daydream, Manya recalls "The soothing ambience and the rich palette of authentic Asian cuisine that called to our souls every time."

"Not to mention the excitement of exploring the marvellous Buddhist Monastery and Temple while looking out for cute clothes and accessories," Manya continued to gush.

With all that said, we both realised that Majnu Ka Tilla or MKT, is not just a place but a feeling. A feeling of being in a home away from home. The warmth and comfort this neighbourhood has to offer are unparalleled to any other emotion, as other students of Delhi University would also agree.

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