Shaharnama

For a young girl ghewar is not just a sweet. It brings memories of festivals, rituals, and the rains

An old-timer believes in immaculate advance planning. But on a trip to Goa, his perfect planning goes completely off the rails literally

A young girl remembers childhood drives to CSD.  The familiar road, the passenger seat beside him, and the quiet happiness of going with him has not changed

A Chandigarh boy remembers the quiet magic of childhood mornings at Chandigarh and the times spent with family along the City Beautiful’s iconic lake

A transfer to a far-off Fazilka sounded more like a punishment than an opportunity, but walking in the footsteps of Ibn Battuta in Abohar led to a change in a Punjabi’s perspective

Posting to far-off city made a native realise the charms of hometown Patiala

Posting to far-off city made a native realise the charms of hometown Patiala

Threatened by the ill-effects of urbanisation, an old timer urges Hoshiarpuriyas to restore his native city’s vanishing simplicity

Delayed results of Delhi University forced a young student to choose a college in Shimla. But its beauty and bonds soon changed her mind

Coming to City Beautiful as a baby, it felt like arriving in paradise, and the city became a forever home in a little girl’s heart

Returning home to Ludhiana after 18 years, an engineer discovers some unknown literary corners in the industrial city, and ends up replacing his science journals with Shiv Batalvi and Surjit Patar’s poetry books

Born and brought-up in Chandigarh, a young man had to shift to Mohali. But his heart and feet are forever rooted in City Beautiful  

On a visit to Bhopal to appear for an important exam, a tense youth forgets about his worries bewitched by the city’s charms, calm and food

After two decades in Gurgaon, a Ludhiana girl returns to find that a long absence does not erase belonging, as the city quietly enfolds her into its familiar folds

For a native, Dharamshala is place that exists in its mountains, memories and moments

A Mohali girl’s love of reading gave her an unexpected gift of friendship and a lifelong connection during a chance bus ride

Beneath Delhi’s forts, flyovers, parks and government buildings lie a large number of forgotten villages that once gave the metropolis its land, food, labour, soldiers, water, routes and refuge, making space for the empire, Partition refugees, planned colonies, and its endless hunger

A native is glad to discover that despite its gleaming new malls, Patiala retains its soul and loyalty for its old charms

Growing up in the industrial city – between its industry and legacy of artists like Sahir — a migrant forged a creative path between its commerce and creativity, and discovered a resilience within herself, shaped by its contradictions

A youngster has to leave due to professional reasons. But when life becomes loud, he comes back to breathe in the mountain air, and heal  

On the way to Harike from Amritsar, a traveller witnesses the soul of Punjab in its colourful fields and roadside dhabas

Inspired by Kalpana Chawla, a teenager dreams of being a pilot. Despite the passion, his dream refuses to take flight in absence of any guidance and mentors

An NRI remembers his 'heady college days' and some memorable characters of those times

A move to City Beautiful’s clean, green and open environs literally provides a breather to a young couple from Patiala

A shift to Mumbai for a job brought loneliness in its wake. But a youngster soon matched its rhythm and city embraced him in return