There was once a king who was visiting Puducherry. One day, while on a walk through its quaint streets, he chanced upon a building with the most beautiful, ornate architecture. This must be a temple, he thought. So he bowed in front of it. A few minutes later, the inhabitants of said building stepped out. From their manner and way of dress, the king realised to his amazement that this place was in fact... a brothel.
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This is one of the many stories that 69-year-old founder and president of Hidesign, Dilip Kapur, has up his sleeve on a walk through the streets of the place he grew up in. And possibly what inspired the theme to the new bar at his property, The Promenade, overlooking the beach. Heading over for the launch party, let’s just say at the outset that the entrance makes a lasting first impression. The sloping ceiling, with the gold lettered name, The Storytellers’ Bar, is abode to about 150 hard-bound books from the local Puducherry vintage book store. While they are too high above to read, one tends to stare at them anyway, looking regal in all their sepia-toned glory.
Storied walls
Later, as we settle down to mutton kheema samosas with a sweet tamarind chutney (with Franco-Tamil culinary sensibilities) — we notice a few typewriters that jump off a wall nearby, with a passage from Alice in Wonderland on the page. And instead of art frames, the aesthetic that surrounds us is of handwritten stories from diaries, heritage bits on French Gover-nors of yore like Joseph-François Dupleix, and even ghost stories from one particular Puducherry resident who lives on to tell these tales.
Come together
For now though, we leave Casper on the backburner and sway to the energetic fusion appeal of local band, Emergence, which dishes out English lyrics and Carnatic raagas in the same breath. In the future, with everything from jazz nights to theatre, comedy and even TED talks planned for this space, which can comfortably fit over a hundred people, Dilip adds, “I want this to be a place for people to come together — and just do whatever they want.” He makes it a point to add, “And they can use this space for free.”
Kaapi conclusion
We end the night with a chilled chocolate filter kaapi — concocted with kahlua, whiskey, locally sourced chocolate and expresso, which arrives in a golden dabara with a flourish of coffee beans afloat. “We have a long history in Puducherry and Auroville, which doesn’t necessary follow a normal route, without being commercial about it. So hopefully, this place follows the same route,” Dilip says with a smile. We’ll raise our whiskey-laden filter kaapi to that all right!
At The Promenade, 23, Goubet Avenue, White Town. Details: 0413 2227751/57