Patiala, Punjab

Image source: https://www.mangobaaz.com/just-lazy-winter-things

The roots of my identity stem from the City of Patiala. This is the city in which I was born, the city in which my parent’s lives first intertwined 25 years ago, the city I call home. Australia is without a doubt, a beautiful country. Picturesque beaches, jagged headlands, untamed wilderness, lapping white crests of waves, diverse and unique wildlife; many of my adventures in Australia have been sublime, but as I wander amongst the streets and alleyways of this sunburnt country, the earth beneath me feels alien. A slight disconnectedness, displacement, disembodiment underpins my presence. It is only when I return to Patiala do I feel at home. Even after years of separation, my mother tongue gives me a warm embrace, the people greet me amicably, and the land welcomes me back home once again. Patiala is a homely land, but a land in which the beauty flourishes through the seemingly banal. 

Although Patiala for me holds a deeply personal, familial connection to my identity, there is still beautiful points throughout the city for the foreigner within to explore. The booming bazaars and malls, such as Sher-e-Punjab, Omaxe, and Tripudi, are an indefinable mix of pedestrians, street food vendors, cars, auto rickshaws, that when all condensed into one, create an atmosphere of technicolour profusion, full of energy, movement, warmth, and colour. Baskets full of golden marigolds, sizzling of saporous, oozing sweets, pungent spices and steam from freshly made samosas dancing and enveloping in the air, beckoning customers to tell you one thing – this is the place for everything right and good. 

Fabric stores enwreathed in fabrics of rose reds, blissful blues, and tender turquoises, eager salesmen unravelling winsome silk in rippling motions to divulging eyes, revealing intricate, meandering golden stitches that gleam in feeble lights. Jewellery shops displaying bejewelled bangles alongside spectacular exhibits of dazzling, elaborate necklaces, all reflecting infinitely amongst mirrored walls. Bustling street food stalls, frying and sautéing spicy, tangy authentic Punjabi cuisine, redefining your entire idea of flavour. The bazaars of Patiala, although only a small portion of everything Patiala has to offer, hold some of the richest experiences for those looking to explore the Royal City. 

Dukh Nivaran Gurudwara, Patiala. Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/oochappan/2910374079/

- Tanya.