{"id":3950,"date":"2016-03-16T20:55:59","date_gmt":"2016-03-16T15:25:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/13.201.39.237\/?p=3950"},"modified":"2026-07-17T20:50:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T15:20:49","slug":"delhi-winter-better-mumbai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/13.207.105.184\/?p=3950","title":{"rendered":"Delhi Fog: The Real Reason Mumbai \u201cWinter\u201d Will Never Match Up to Dilli Ki Sardi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\u00a0\n

O<\/span><\/p>n what passes for a winter morning in <\/span>Mumbai<\/span><\/a>, I rise from bed and exhale forcefully, in the hope that I\u2019ll see a cloud of vapour form in the slightly chilly January air. But all that comes out is a sigh of disappointment. Yes, I\u2019m that annoying Dilliwala you see in the memes popping out of nowhere and asking, \u201cYeh koi thand hai?\u201d But there\u2019s more to our disdain of Mumbai\u2019s winters than meets the eye. Mumbaikars might be sick and tired of us out-of-townies acting all macho when the mercury drops, but that\u2019s just a front to cover how we\u2019re pining for the pristine, idyllic season we left behind at home \u2013 yes yes, pristinely preserved in our imaginations only.<\/span>\n\n\"Delhi\n\n

\n

Chill Grips North India, Mercury Continues To Dip\nImage credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\nToday, conversation about Delhi winter is usually dominated by discussions about the heavy smog and plummeting air quality. And even though today you\u2019d rather kids in Delhi stay indoors with face masks on, I still remember the winter as a time when fog (not smog) meant missed catches during evening games of <\/span>cricket<\/span><\/a>, because players couldn\u2019t see the ball \u2013 or were furiously rubbing their hands together to warm them up.<\/span>\n\nDilli ki sardi began even before you could feel the chill on your body. The <\/span>school<\/span><\/a> sent out a circular titled \u201cWinter School Timings\u201d and you knew that the blissful days of waking up late were here. But you soon found out this idea is a sham.<\/span>\n\nEvery morning brought with it a realisation \u2013 the warm and cozy world you\u2019d created inside your blanket was in sharp contrast to the reality outside. You wanted to stay inside this small igloo of yours forever, but come 7.30 am, and a cruel hand would rip away your comforting layers of kambal and razai. It was the hand of your <\/span>mother<\/span><\/a>, whose inhuman crime was in sharp contrast with her smile wishing you good morning.<\/span>\n\nAfter taking a piping hot bath that left steam rising off your <\/span>skin<\/span><\/a>, deciding how many layers of clothing to wear was of utmost importance. If you wear a warmer, you can do with a half sleeves sweater. But if you don\u2019t wear one, you\u2019ll require full sleeves. Mother was adept in taking these decisions quickly. She had a simple solution: \u201cSab pehen lo, bahar thand hai.\u201d <\/span>\n

The one similarity between Mumbai and Delhi winter is how it turns everyone into a sun worshipper.<\/blockquote>\nHer heart was in the right place, but I blame her for never being able to <\/span>date<\/span><\/a> while in school. Being swaddled in layers of fabric, paired with her hand-knitted gloves and cap, meant I could never become that cool boy who came to the school only in his shirt and proudly announced his machismo with the statement, \u201cMujhe thand nahi lagti.\u201d Certainly, part of the reason I finally did move to Mumbai was so that I could get the joy saying those words at last. <\/span>\n\nThe one similarity between Mumbai and Delhi winter is how it turns everyone into a sun worshipper. Back home, the afternoon sun brought with it respite, and the whole family came out of their rooms to seek the same. With mats spread out and bags of peanuts in our hands, it was time for the afternoon family siesta on the terrace. Everyone would find a spot away from the shade, lie down on the mats and soak in the <\/span>heat<\/span><\/a> while cracking peanuts. Since grandparents couldn\u2019t risk breaking their teeth, it was our responsibility to do the same for them. As the sun moved westwards, the whole family moved along with it to catch their share of the sunlight before it faded away.<\/span>\n\nAt night, after those games of cricket in the nippy evening air, I\u2019d go back home and snuggle in my grandmother\u2019s shawl, who\u2019d give me a weather update, courtesy Rajat Sharma. She\u2019d tell me about people on the streets dying because of the cold wave, and flights and trains getting delayed because of the worsening fog. But I couldn\u2019t care less. The only news I cared about was whether the <\/span>government<\/span><\/a> had put out the order to shut down schools or not. More often than not, my hope for extra holidays was met with disappointment.<\/span>\n\nAt night, dad would give me a sip of brandy and I\u2019d pretend to be drunk like I had chugged ten shots of vodka. But I would soon regain my consciousness to prepare for a fierce battle of \u201cWho Sleeps Closest to the Heater?\u201d with my mother. But you can rarely win when your mother reminds you of all the work she\u2019s done throughout the day, especially when all you did was eat <\/span>peanuts<\/span><\/a> and oranges, <\/span>and play some cricket. I\u2019d quietly take the next best spot and snuggle in my cosy blanket preparing for another chilly day ahead.<\/span>\n\nIt\u2019s been three years since I left home, and three years since I last experienced a real Delhi winter. As the smog situation in the <\/span>capital<\/span><\/a> worsens every year, I wonder if the winters I knew are gone forever. So pardon me for leaving my winter clothes packed in the cupboard and obnoxiously asking the question, \u201cYeh koi thand hai?\u201d Because at this point, nostalgia is all that I and my fellow displaced Dilliwallas have left.<\/span>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Even though today kids in Delhi stay indoors with face masks on, I still remember the winter as a time when fog (not smog) meant missed catches during evening games of cricket, snuggling up in your grandma\u2019s shawl, and snoozing in the afternoon sun on the terrace with your family.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":233,"featured_media":3954,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[107],"tags":[7059,7284,7285,334,18,6830,2918,7286,2546,7287,2812],"class_list":["post-3950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pov","tag-air","tag-better","tag-breathe","tag-delhi","tag-family","tag-fog","tag-nostalgia","tag-peanuts","tag-smog","tag-sun","tag-winter"],"yoast_head":"\nDelhi Fog: The Real Reason Mumbai \u201cWinter\u201d Will Never Match Up to Dilli Ki Sardi<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Even though today kids in Delhi 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