In the city of Adabs, Kebabs, and Nawabs, and a breakfast with a Kohli cut out

By K.R. Nayar 
Ekana Stadium

Lucknow.  Luck seems to favor those who love food, and that might be the reason why I find myself in Lucknow. I would like to express my gratitude to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for selecting this delightful venue, a true haven for food enthusiasts. The Novotel hotel, where I am staying, has adorned its restaurant with cutouts of cricketers. People from various parts of India have flocked here, not only to witness the cricket match but also to savor the delectable cuisines this city has to offer and indulge in some shopping too.

 

Virat Kohli cut out beckons everyone for breakfast 

Lucknow, once the seat of power for the Nawabs in the 18th and 19th centuries, is often referred to as the 'City of Adab.' In Arabic, Adab means refinement, good manners, morals, decorum, decency, and humaneness. People here enjoy poetry, and the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on whose name the stadium is named, was a poet too. 

 

Ye Nile Gangan Ke Tale song flowing out of  his flute 

The mood for cricket is created right from breakfast time where a cutout of Kohli beckons everyone to taste the dishes. There is also a person playing the evergreen Hindi song ‘Ye Nile Gagan Ke Tale’ on the flute sitting in front of a World Cup banner. Every waiter at the restaurant was wearing a badge that had the emblems of both India and England.

 

A waiter wearing the emblems of India and England 

Tunday Kebab is a famous Lucknow delicacy. I am told that when in Lucknow, never leave the city without tasting the galouti kebab, Awadhi cuisine, and buying Luknowi chinkankari embroidery kurtas and sarees. Though I have seen pink cricket balls, I never expected to have pink tea. It is Lucknow’s version of the Kashmiri tea and is called Gulabi chai.

 

Framed photos of celebrities who have visited the Tunday Kabab restaurant 

A local resident insisted that we dine at Tunday Kebab, one of the city's oldest establishments, founded in 1905 and located in one of the most bustling streets of Lucknow. It seems Team India captain Rohit Sharma is a fan of their food and arranges for it to be delivered to his hotel. However, Afghanistan player Rashid Khan made the mistake of visiting and dining there, only to be mobbed.

 

Nearly 500 people were eating at the same time in this restaurant and I was told one waiter easily serves 10 tables at a time. At the entrance of this hotel are photographs of all celebrities who have visited this restaurant. This includes the late MF Hussain, Rajesh Khanna, cricketers Kapil Dev, Mohammad Azharuddin, actor Anupam Kher, to name a few.

 

Entrance to the huge Lulu Mall in Lucknow 

Not far away from the Ekana stadium is Lulu Mall, Lucknow, which is spread over 45.9 acres and is said to be one of the largest malls in Asia. However, to reach the stadium on the match day  wasn’t easy. Almost all roads leading to the stadium were closed. So, whoever missed their morning walk did not have to regret since a 45-minute walk was needed to reach the gate.

 

Lucknow Police's instruction 

On the way, police had put up boards saying No Standing, No Stopping, as if to encourage walking. Like on running tracks, they had boards informing people of the distance left to reach Ekana Stadium. The count down starts from four kilometers.

 

A huge poster of Yogi Adityanath and Narendra Modi 

Huge posters of Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, with prime minister Narendra Modi are placed near the entrance.  In Lucknowi Hindi, people say Adab for hello, and one can only respond saying Thank you for all the delicious kebabs.