The one thing which Calcutta can export to other metros is definitely the street food, and puchka is top on the list. For a true puchka lover, they are nothing less than 'Moksha'. After all Moksha is nothing but the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering. While having Puchkas the only thing on your mind is "namak acha se dena, khatta theek se daalna, mirchi bhi barabar dena aur pani jyada khatta dena ". You are relieved from the sansarik moh-maaya at that moment. It's the stage of ultimate peace and enlightenment- nothing but "Moksha". Even filmstars, whenever in Calcutta, flocks to Victoria for attending the stage of Moksha. And everyone has a personalized way of attending Moksha. Once the gallop of aloo(potato) and imli kapani(tamarind's water) in a maida's(flour's) shell with masala enters mouth, nothing comes to your mind.........alas itshould be perfect or near to perfect or else its nothing less than hell !!!

And I realized it only after shifting to NCR. Before thismy puchka world was perfect. Walking on streets of Gurgaon, I discovered a puchkawala and couldn't control myself but having them. And the taste !! It was simpler than the khichdi..totally blend !! after my first failure I again took a risk and this time I analyzed that puchkawala was from east and my expectations rose ...but a disaster again!! Its water tasted like hajmola mixed with water and the effect of that lasted with continuous burps and hiccups !! I took a vow never to eat puchkas here.

But I was meant to attain Moksha and nothing could have come in the way. This time I again I saw a puchkawala and the fire of moksha could not hold me back from trying them. Fully aware of the risks involved withanother failure, I ventured ahead because I believed 'darr ke aage jeet hai'. And I was fortunate enough to strike it right on the third attempt and not like Edison who had to wait for 6000+ attempts before finding the correct filament material. And when the first puchka went in, my whole focus was on the taste, and it was almost near to perfect – khatta barabar, mirch barabar, namak barabar !! And I couldnot think of anything else !! This was it – the stage of Moksha !! I forgot where I was standing, I forgot who was with me, I forgot everything but only Puchka was there on my mind. Only and Only Puchka !! Moksha........

My Puchka World is so perfect again !!

Rohit Gattani

An avid Puchka Lover