crystal ice cream, chowpatty

Miss home  The no-frills crystal has been serving pocket-friendly food to students and working professionals in and around chowpatty since 1966. Crystal begn offering vegetarian foods like dal fry, rajma, alugobi, baigan ka bharta, roti,rice and kheer, as he felt there were a lot of migrants and students living nearby who missed home –cooked food. Crystal combo meal and crystal special rae two sections we added, with offerings such as chole bature, lahori paneer, and some jain items. 022 236901482

Frozen Time

Mumbai’s bustling Bhendi Bazaar has an age-old little shop, which has been famous for its hand-churned ice creams since 1887. Taj Ice Cream, situated in the bylanes of Mohammed Ali Road, Mumbai, is a century-old joint known for its hand-churned ice creams.

It dates back to 1887, when Valilji Jalaji from Kutch arrived in Bombay and started selling fruits and milk mixed in an earthen pot. The man, was totally unaware that he was inadvertently laying the foundation for a rock-solid business — Taj Ice Cream would go steady for over a century. Today, the same place in Bhendi Bazaar, albeit small, still draws a huge crowd on a daily basis.

The journey

Valilji scouted for ice and started making hand-churned ice creams with fresh fruits, full-cream milk and sugar. The response to his dessert was phenomenal, and gradually, his chilled treats grew in popularity.

Aamir shares, “Although the shop was started in 1887, it was only later that ice creams were made. When Valilji started the place, procuring ice was not possible because it was a luxury item and was expensive.”

It runs in the family

For years, the business has been run successfully by family members. In 2016, Hatim Sharifali and his brothers parted ways, leaving Hatim and his son Aamir now solely in charge of Taj Ice Cream.

From just six flavours that were always available, the menu today boasts of 16 varieties, including the popular sitaphal (custard apple), mango, strawberry, litchi and guava. Furthermore, the brand, which was previously low-key, now has an active social media presence. The credit for these changes goes to Aamir, who returned from Dubai after giving up his job to take the family business to the next level in 2016. “Changing with times is important. Hence, I created a logo, brand identity and ensured we are on delivery platforms and active on social media too, as that is the need of the hour,” explains Aamir candidly.

Besides branding and a bit of marketing, Aamir admits they have changed nothing. “Valilji was a visionary and had everything chalked out meticulously. Even the copper canister or sanchas, in which we churn the ice cream, are from his time. All we have to do is maintain them every year,” says the man with a smile. He adds, “Our staff too is third-generation and are familiar with the quality requirements. The business is almost on an auto-pilot mode.”The other plus is they use fruits and the ice creams are said to have no softeners, colours, preservatives or additives.

“That is the first thing I learnt from my father. We never compromised on quality. The fruits are purchased personally by one of us and the milk has been coming from the same place for years now, as we are sure of the quality and hygiene,” informs Aamir, who assures us that every batch of ice cream is tasted by him or his father for quality and consistency.

Famous customers

From actors like Madhubala, Suraiya and Johnny Walker to the popular director-duo Abbas-Mustan and politician Farooq Abdullah, Taj Ice Creams has hosted many celebrities over the years.“Once upon a time, we used to even cater to the prestigious Radio Club during the British era. But my father tells me that the moment the Shah of Iran, when he visited Mumbai, stayed at Taj Mahal Hotel and asked for our ice creams, was the high point in his life,” shares Aamir. 

Apart from working on new flavours like jackfruit and tender coconut, Aamir is keen to get an organic and natural certification for his brand. He has also opened a new outlet in Bandra East and hopes to expand further.

A haven for veggies

Shree Thaker Bhojanalay at Kalbadevi, Mumbai is synonymous with home-style cooking, that hasn’t changed since Indian Independence Simple and wholesome, food is not oily, heavy, or drowned in boatloads of masala. It is home-style and has a variety of textures and flavours. From mirchi bhajias, biscuit bhakri, dahi kadhi, dal baati churma to khichdi and shrikhand, their specialities are a big hit, served on sumptuous thalis by the wait staff. One could expect two green vegetables, lentils, rotis, bhakris, khichdi, rice and dal, with some dishes served alternately in the morning and evening.

Popular dishes Dal bati churma, Puran poli, Dal khichdi & Shrikhand

தூண் விழுந்தால் உலகமே அழிந்து விடும்!

 மகாராஷ்டிரா மாநிலத்தில் தானே மாவட்டத்தில் அமைந்துள்ள கிரேஷ்வர் எனும் கிராமத்தில் காணப்படும் ஒரு சிறப்பு வாய்ந்த கோவில்தான் 'ஹரிஷ்சந்திரகட் கோவில்". இந்த கோவில் மிகவும் பழமை வாய்ந்ததாகும்.

 இது 6-ஆம் நு}ற்றாண்டில் கலாசு+ரி பேரரசால் கட்டப்பட்டதாகும். இந்த கோவிலுக்கு அருகில் தான் 'கேதாரேஸ்வர்" என்ற இந்த அதிசய குகைக் கோவில் உள்ளது. 

 இந்த குகைக்கு உள்ளே சென்றால் நீரால் சு+ழப்பட்ட 5 அடி உயர சிவலிங்கத்தைக் காணலாம். அதுமட்டுமல்லாது லிங்கத்தை சுற்றியுள்ள தண்ணீரைக் கடந்துதான் லிங்கத்தை அடைய வேண்டும். 

 சிவலிங்கத்தை சுற்றி காணப்படும் நீர் மிகவும் குளிர்ச்சியாக இருக்கும் காரணத்தினால் இதை கடந்து லிங்கத்தை அடைவது சற்று கடினம். மழைக் காலங்களில் குகைக்கு அருகில் கூட செல்ல முடியாது. 

 சிவலிங்கத்தை சுற்றி நான்கு தூண்கள் இருந்துள்ளன. இவற்றில் மூன்று தூண்கள் ஏற்கனவே சேதமடைந்து விழுந்த நிலையில் ஒரே ஒரு தூண் மட்டுமே உள்ளது. இந்த தூண் எப்போது சேதமடைந்து கீழே விழுகிறதோ அன்று உலகம் அழிந்துவிடும் என்று நம்பப்படுகிறது. 

 சிவலிங்கத்தை சுற்றியுள்ள நான்கு தூண்களை 'சத்ய யுகம், த்ரேதா யுகம், த்வாபர யுகம், கலியுகம்" ஆகிய நான்கு யுகங்களை தௌpவுப்படுத்துவதாக கூறப்படுகின்றது. 

 ஒவ்வொரு யுகமும் முடிவடையும் சந்தர்ப்பத்தில் ஒவ்வொரு தூணாக இடிந்து விழும். அதன்படி தற்போதைய 3 தூண்கள் இடிந்துவிட்ட நிலையில் கலியுகத்தின் முடிவில் நான்காவது தூணும் இடிந்து உலகம் அழிந்துவிடும் என நம்பப்படுகிறது.