Life at Khurja by Saqlain Akhtar

Some of my friends live in Khurja so it wasn't an entirely unfamiliar city, when I first heard the name. Located in Bulandshaher district which is in Uttar Pradesh, Khurja is mostly famous for its ceramic industries, though it has many more trade industries, a large portion of ceramics are supplied all over the country every year. But all of this, you might have already heard about or read somewhere.

What is quite different from the well-established facts about Khurja are its delicacies. Its special sweet for the visitors is known as 'Khurchan' made from burnt milk at the bottom of the cookware. It would melt in your mouth and slowly make its way to your heart. There is also a lesser known but awesomely delicious drink that the place boasts, called 'Kanji Wada'. Palatable dal wadas are put in tangy, fermented carrot juice called kanji and served in a glass.

There are so many places here which would you would want to visit such as 'Mewaram Ka kamra' ( it is now occupied by some locals) and 'Seth Ganga Ram Bhawan'. Diwan ji Ka Mandir near Padam Singh Gate is a very old temple that has stood the test of more than a century. These buildings would certainly catch the eyes of the visitors.

Khurja is a multi-cultural city with a number of people following varied lifestyle. A majority of Hindus can be found here who are balanced by a good number of Muslims. People here generally engage themselves in agriculture, which has long been practiced. Handicrafts are often mastered by the women and show a great degree of women employment.

We must visit places like Khurja in our country as it is enhances and uncovers the beautiful nuances of our own heritage, culture, history and much more.