Why Metros make me miss my Old City ?

I currently live in one of the top 4 metros of India, but I originally belong to Lucknow – old Lucknow (Chowk) to be precise. I left Lucknow 13 years ago i.e. in 2004 to pursue engineering and then job. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to go back to the city where my heart is and the facilities, modernization, cleanliness, educated population, intelligent conversations, glitterati, sophistication, mannerism, infrastructure, comfort etc of the metro could not even make a dent to my love for Lucknow.

Chowk (Old Lucknow) is surrounded by Rumi Darwaza, Bada Imambara, Chhota Imambara, Gol Darwaza, Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower) and Gomti river. It has one of the best food joints of the city and celebrates each and every festival to the best of its capability. I am trying to highlight few aspects of what I miss the most when compared to the life in a metro.

Culture: You put your first step in the city and you’ll know if there is any festival around the corner. In the very first conversation you will get to see the ‘Tehzeeb’ of the city. The per capita income could be less than the national average, however people will be willing to help you with their heart and soul – while in metros sometimes people struggle to extract time to even help their own family.

The day starts early everywhere - in metros you’ll find people lined up to grab a space to stand in a bus/metro/local train saying ‘Hi/Hello/Good Morning’ to each other but in Lucknow people will be lined up for Kachori/Khasta/Jalebi greeting each other with ‘Jai Ram/Hari Om/Adaab/Salaam’ and sharing their views on current politics/govt/local leaders etc and unlike metros they will not worry about the choice of words, they will just express their views in the best possible way. And everyone will sound expert in everything that they say.

Food: The local cuisine and globally renowned Mughlai food is served with so much of feel and emotions that not even the most expensive restaurants can match it. I am listing few of my favorites:

a) Paani ke Bataashe (Gol Gappe/Pani Puri) - No 50 k 4 batashe in a metro can match 10 k 4 of Anandi Mata

b) Mathha/Butter Milk/Chhaas – No tetra pack of Amul butter milk can match Panditji ka Mathha – absolutely fresh with Pudina Chutnee

c) Lassi with Chhole Bhature – No 3/4/5 star fancy restaurant can ever match Shree Lassi corner’s Lassi with Chhole Bhature

d) Kachori/Khasta– No pizza can give you the feel of eating Kachori at Kachori Corner and Bissu’s Khaste with no place to sit

e) Kesar Milk and Thandai – No Kaventers can ever reach the level of Koneshwar’s kesariya milk and Raja Thandai

f) Aloo Tikki – No McDonalds/Burger King/KFC can beat Jagdish’s or Dixit’s Aloo Tikki

g) Malai Makhhan (Only in winters) – This is unbeatable, nowhere else in the world you will find such a delicacy

h) Lalla Biryani, Dastarkhwan and Tundey Kabab needs no description

Infrastructure: It is not about tall buildings and fancy houses, but about people living together as a family in old, rudimentary homes where they spend most of their time in neighbor’s place. There are narrow lanes and few lanes are so narrow that only one vehicle can pass through at a time but it is still better than being stuck in traffic jam for hours everyday.

I am sure that Happy Quotient of anyone in any old city of India – who knows how to live his ‘Today’ will be far better than those living in metros worrying about ‘Tomorrow’.

I am not against globalization or development or ubanisation, I am just trying to highlight my point of view (could be wrong) that somewhere in this process, we are losing out on our culture and feel of our diversity. I am worried that we might lose our culture and feel of language, food, conversations etc completely in the next 50 years.