Done gulping glass after glass of cold water and stuffing scoops of ice cream to beat the heat? Are you bored of artificially flavoured drinks? Well then, it’s time to bring flavour back into your summer drinks, as the sharbat mela makes its way to the Capital.

At the ongoing Sharbat Mela organised by Delhi Tourism, one can indulge in the sweet essence of rose, relish the seasonal aam panna or lose yourself in the citrusy kala khatta chuski. “Our aam panna is very popular and every year people from far and wide come to have it. But this year, we will also add strawberry squash to our list. We have developed this new flavour because kids love it,” says Bal Mukund Sharma, who sets up his company’s stall every year at this fair.

It isn’t just sales, but also the chance to meet customers and get their feedback on the different flavours that encourages stallholders to come back year after year. “It’s been more than a decade that we have been participating in this festival. We arrange free samples for visitors because that helps us understand what people want to have. We take their feedback very seriously because it’s important for them to like the flavours that we create,” says Prabhat Kumar.

From thandai to shikanji, there will be a host of summer drinks to quench your thirst. Some of the flavours that are popular among visitors are lychee, kala khatta and masala lemon. And one vendor is also offering the fragrant Sharbat-e-Shifa — a mix of rose, khus, chandan, and kewra — which is red in colour but turns yellow when mixed with water. It’s for the love of these varieties that some Delhiites have become a regular here.

“Every year, I look forward to this festival, and ensure that my weekend is off, so that I can indulge in sharbat shopping. While I savour the kulfis, chuskis and free sharbat samples, my parents enjoy the cultural performances. It’s a nice day out for the entire family,” says Deepanshu Khurana, an IT professional.

To make the fest a complete experience, the evenings will have cultural performances by artists associated with Sahitya Kala Parishad.

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First Published: Jun 14, 2019 12:10 IST