: Displaced By Partition, How A 19-YO Set Up Delhis Oldest Favourite Kulfi Eatery #IndiaNEWS #Culture Before the pandemic, at any time on any given day you would find lakhs of Delhiites on the streets

Displaced By Partition, How A 19-YO Set Up Delhis Oldest Favourite Kulfi Eatery #IndiaNEWS #Culture
Before the pandemic, at any time on any given day you would find lakhs of Delhiites on the streets of Karol Bagh, one of the city’s oldest and most popular destinations. Thousands of street vendors set up shop amid the tiny gullies, selling a variety of clothes, jewellery, shoes, electronics, and any item you might be looking for. You’d also find an array of food stalls that boast a variety of dishes and cuisine — chow mein, momos, chaat, sweets, chole bhature, kulfi — you name it.
Over the years, Old Delhi has come to be home to a variety of old eateries. One of these is the beloved Roshan Di Kulfi, over seven decades old, nestled among the bustling streets of the marketplace and thronged by a sea of hungry visitors looking to satisfy their sweet cravings.
Before the pandemic, Karol Bagh saw upto 1 lakh visitors a day (Source: Flickr)
A safe haven after the Partition
The story of this eatery dates back to 1947, right after the Partition of India, when then 19-year-old Roshan Lal Soni migrated from Lahore to Delhi. Born and brought up in Himachal Pradesh, he had moved to the former as a teenager in search of a livelihood. After the Partition forced millions out of their homes, Roshan found himself unwittingly being part of the sea of refugees that left their old lives behind.
In order to earn a livelihood, young Roshan began selling dry fruits in neighbourhoods in Connaught Place, where he would walk from door to door to sell his products. He later moved to Karol Bagh, and inspired by the scorching Delhi heat, decided to venture into selling kulfis.
“At the time, a new market of refugees had emerged in the area,??? Roshan’s 33-year-old grandson Ishan Soni, who currently helms the business, tells The Better India. “My grandfather put up a street stall here. Today, we have a multi-storey and multi-cuisine store, in the exact same area where he had first set up his tiny stall as a street hawker. ???
Kulfis, the delicious and desi answer to ice creams, are made by slowly thickening and evaporating milk, which is then sweetened with sugar. After this, additional ingredients such as chopped nuts and saffron are added, and the dish is frozen in moulds. A favourite addition to kulfis is falooda, made from vermicelli noodles and added condiments such as rose syrup.
When Roshan first began selling kulfis, he would walk four kilometres, from Shakti Nagar to Karol Bagh, carrying giant tins of milk on his shoulder to begin selling for the day. “Transportation was not easily available at the time, so he’d have to walk everywhere. Even work opportunities were lacking at the time, and finding jobs was not as easy,??? Ishan says.

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