Indore (Madhya Pradesh): With the taste of Indore’s food still fresh in their mouths and fond memories in their heart, and some clutching their Chanderi bags!, NRIs said goodbye to Indore as the three-day PBD Convention came to an end at the Brilliant Convention Centre.
During this period, while some became fans of Indori poha, others just could not express in words their experience of visiting Ujjain’s Mahakal Temple. It was with such mixed emotions that the NRIs around the world shared their experiences with Free Press.
“I wish we could stay here a little longer”
I work as a judicial officer at the Supreme Court of Mauritius and the new building of the Mauritius Supreme Court was inaugurated by PM Modi. So in a way, I can say that my workplace has been gifted by PM Modi.
At first, I was missing my family, but now that I am leaving Indore I am feeling very emotional. Three of my friends already left for Suriname and they were crying. I wish we could stay here a little longer. We always say that Mauritius is like paradise on earth, but Indore is so clean and beautiful that it is similar to Mauritius. I visited Sarafa and loved sabudana khichdi.
Nitesh Kissoon, Mauritius
‘Taking back Chanderi, Maheshwari, Bagh print with me’
I loved the food here. We went to Sarafa and Chhapan last night and had the best time there. I bought some Chanderi sarees, Maheshwari and Bagh print clothes. The people here are soft-spoken, nice and humble. Though we live in a foreign country, we try our best to make the country proud in our adopted land. Indori poha is the best and, since I am based in Mumbai, after eating sabudana khichdi I realised that there is a lot of Maharashtrian influence because of Ahilyabai Holkar.
Another unforgettable experience was the ‘Bhasmaarti’ at Ujjain’s Mahakal Temple. I still get goosebumps just talking about it.
Smita Miki Patel, New Jersey
‘Felt like home’
My grandparents immigrated from India 200 years ago. I was overwhelmed by the hospitality of the people here and the way they greeted us with a smile on their faces. Visiting India, we do not feel like we are out of our country but rather, we feel at home and it feels great to find our roots back. I would like to come back and experience the town, the streets and the people.
Rita Coonjan, Mauritius
‘Indoris invent their own recipe’
I have been taking videos of how tidy, clean and hygienic Indore is. Another thing that caught my attention is the cuisine. Indoris invent their recipe. Jamun shots and gold kulfi are things that you won’t find anywhere else in India. Even though Panipuri is very common in India but it's very different in Indore because of all the different types of water that they offer with it.
If I have to say something about the people here, they are very hospitable. Last night we could not find a vehicle to go back to our hotel, and then a car came to pick us up. At first, we thought it must have been provided by the administration. But, later we found out that they were just some localities who helped us.
Sangita Chatlani, England
