5 min readMar 13, 2026 04:06 PM IST
First published on: Mar 13, 2026 at 04:06 PM IST
I munched on my homemade parathas on the rail trip to Burhanpur, unsure as I am of food available on trains nowadays. The journey to this historic city in Madhya Pradesh came after nearly three decades. Back then, the homemade theplas sat happily in my stomach with the vada pav, karvandas and ice golas sold by vendors with no FDA approval.
Our large family would travel to Burhanpur almost every summer to meet relatives. The quaintness of the place was not lost on us — narrow, dusty roads; a horse-pulled tonga waiting to transport us after the Jhelum Express chugged in at an unearthly 3 am. An unscheduled but mandatory stop along the Tapti river midway for my mother to take a holy dip; houses with common walls; and the earthy smell of cow dung mixed with water and spread across the floor to keep homes cool and mosquitoes at bay during the summer.
And then there was “falsa” — the glorious, dark purple berry with a tangy, sweet flavour that thrived in semi-arid Burhanpur during the months of May and June. It is hard to think of Burhanpur without remembering the falsa. We’d eat it raw and then look forward to being treated to the extracted pulp of the fruit made into a traditional syrup known as falsa murabba.
This concoction would last the entire summer, and we’d ensure to take generous portions back home because nothing could beat the unconditional love that came through in every mouthful.
What is a city without its food? A few other Burhanpur sweets that have lingered on the taste buds over the years are the traditional daraba — a halwa made out of semolina, sugar and often singhare ka atta (chestnut flour) — whose origins date back to the 17th century and the mawa jalebis and shahi tukdas.
While on the theme of tastes, it shouldn’t surprise you that the water in some parts of the city tastes different. That’s because the water in these areas comes from the Khooni Bhandara, an underground water management system built way back in 1615 to cater to the Mughal soldiers and the local population. The Khooni Bhandara continues to augment the water supply in the city.
My solo journey to Burhanpur this time was to offer condolences after two deaths in the family in quick succession. As the 13th day ritual marked the formal end of the mourning period, the kitchen in the unusually large house came alive at 5 am with the noisy whirring of mixers churning out unusually large quantities of coriander-mint-chilli chutney. Sesame seeds crackled in pans for the green pea curry, endless pooris were rolled out and fried at a furious pace, a load of onions was deftly peeled and finely chopped, and the banana leaves to serve the food were cleaned thoroughly. Bhabhis and bens had got down to preparing lunch to be served at the local mataji ka mandir, an important ritual.
A city in transition, Burhanpur balances the traditional with the modern. Set up in 1400 AD along the banks of Tapti river, it served as a strategic gateway to southern India. Rich in Mughal heritage, Burhanpur remained for decades under the patronage of emperor Shah Jahan, whose imprint can still be seen in the architectural splendour of the region. From the Shahi Qila, a riverside palace famous for its hammam and Mughal design, to the Jama Masjid, built in 1589 with elegant arches and courtyard; from the Aahukhana, where Mumtaz Mahal was once temporarily buried, to the Kala Taj, often associated with myths about Shah Jahan’s plans for a black marble Taj Mahal, each monument has a story to tell.
Today, Shanwara Gate remains one of the important gateways of the historic walled city of Burhanpur. Traditional tongas still operate along it, but auto rickshaws and other transport services have outnumbered them. The roads are still dusty, but this dust is more because of the construction spurt in the city.
At our ancestral home, my cousin’s photograph joins those of my uncle and aunt, people who had kept this large extended family together, drawing us to the place year after year. Over time, those memories had faded in the din of a hectic work life. It took a funeral to bring me back to the place — and to the love, generosity and warmth that characterised Burhanpur back then and now.
The writer is senior editor, The Indian Express
anuradha.mascarenhas@expressindia.com
