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Café Lota presents South Meets North on a Leaf, curated by Tales of City. Six exclusive sit-down Sadhya feasts at the National Crafts Museum, New Delhi, where live Carnatic music meets conversations with cultural voices from the North.Day & Date: Friday 5th, 6th & 7th September 2025
Time Slots: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm & 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Cultural Ambassadors: Pushpesh Pant, Saurabh Dwivedi, Gunjan Goela, Yasmin Kidwai, Rana Safvi,& Katriina Bahri
Onam Ashamsakal – Greetings of Onam
Café Lota presents South Meets North on a Leaf, curated by Tales of City.
This September, we celebrate Onam in Delhi with six festive harvest meals hosted across three days at the National Crafts Museum and Hastkala Academy. Each gathering features a traditional sit-down Onam Sadhya served on banana leaves, accompanied by live South Indian classical music.
The Sadhya is not only a feast of flavours but also a cultural bridge. Each session opens with reflections from distinguished voices of Delhi — historians, chefs, journalists, filmmakers, and cultural thinkers — who will explore how South Indian food has touched their lives and how Delhi has embraced it as part of its shared identity.
What to Expect from Each Session
Pushpesh Pant
Theme: The Sadhya as a Cultural Bridge
Food historian Pushpesh Pant will reflect on how the Sadhya is more than a festive harvest meal. He will share how it represents a cultural philosophy of abundance and togetherness, challenging stereotypes and offering lessons for India’s shared future.
Saurabh Dwivedi
Theme: Food as News, Food as Memory
A reflection on how South Indian food is part of Delhi’s everyday story. From dosa and idli to rasam and curd rice, discover why North Indians feel emotionally attached to these foods and how dining together creates dialogue.
Yasmin Kidwai
Theme: Festivals as Bridges
Understand how Onam and the Sadhya act as cultural bridges between South and North. Hear how food, as storytelling, challenges stereotypes, connects communities, and makes festivals a dialogue of belonging.
Rana Safvi
Theme: Delhi as a Mini India
Delve into how Delhi, with its pluralistic history, embraced South Indian food. Explore how Sadhya sits alongside traditions like dastarkhwan, reminding us that food in Delhi has always been about inclusivity and shared heritage.
Katriina Bahri
Theme: New Palates, Old Traditions
From her global perspective, Katriina reflects on Delhi’s openness to flavours and traditions. She explores how the Sadhya reintroduces heritage food into premium urban culture, proving that old traditions always find new ways to belong.
Gunjan Goela
Theme: The Soul of Vegetarian Cuisine
A celebration of vegetarian refinement, connecting South Indian Sadhya with Delhi’s Vaish and Bania traditions. Learn how Ayurveda, satvik principles, and festive thalis come together to nourish body, mind, and memory.
Why Delhi?
Delhi has always been a miniature India, where traditions from across the country are embraced and celebrated as its own. South Meets North on a Leaf is Delhi’s way of joining in the joy of Onam, honouring the Sadhya not just as food but as memory, identity, and togetherness.
For over a decade, Café Lota has carried the flavours of India’s many regions into the heart of Delhi, creating culinary memories that evoke nostalgia while celebrating tradition and taste under one roof. It has become a home for connoisseurs and wanderers of flavour alike, where every dish is rooted in heritage yet alive with imagination, where food itself transforms into cultural memory.
Tales of City brings the other half of the experience, the stories and the raw immersiveness that turn an event into a moment of belonging. With curations such as Jahaanuma Mehfil, Patang, Parcham aur Parampara, and Dastarkhwan, Tales of City has become a brand that curates the very pulse of festivities, bringing people together in ways that are deeply personal yet universally shared.
Cultural Ambassadors:
Sadhya with Chef Saurabh Dwivedi- Friday, 5th September 12 PM (Lunch Session)
Saurabh Dwivedi is the Founding Editor of The Lallantop, a leading Hindi digital-first news platform under the India Today Group. A journalist with over 15 years of experience, he began his career at Navbharat Times and later worked at Dainik Bhaskar before joining India Today in 2013. An alumnus of JNU and IIMC, he is known for hosting popular shows like The Lallantop Show, Duniyadaari, Netanagri, and Guest in the Newsroom. Widely recognized for his sharp election coverage and engaging political interviews, he has redefined Hindi news media and is also a regular speaker at premier institutions and global forums.
Sadhya with Chef Gunjan Goela- Friday, 5th September 6 PM (Dinner Session)
Chef Gunjan Goela is one of India’s foremost voices in vegetarian cuisine, known for bringing Delhi’s traditional Vaish and Bania food heritage back to the spotlight. With decades of culinary research and practice, she blends the wisdom of Ayurveda with seasonal, mindful eating—crafting meals that are both nourishing and deeply rooted in culture. An author, speaker, and cultural ambassador, Chef Goela has represented India on global platforms, showcasing how vegetarian food can be rich, refined, and meaningful. Her work isn’t just about food—it’s about memory, identity, and preserving the soul of a cuisine often overlooked.
Sadhya with Yasmin Kidwai- Saturday, 6th September 12 PM (Lunch Session)
Yasmin Kidwai is a Delhi-based filmmaker, cultural curator and two-term elected Municipal Councillor. She has been closely involved in celebrating India’s plural traditions through Sufi heritage festivals and cultural initiatives that bring communities together in shared spaces of music, dialogue and storytelling. As a filmmaker, her documentaries have been screened at international festivals and focus on themes of women, identity and social change. Her public work bridges creativity with civic engagement, creating experiences where heritage and contemporary voices meet in meaningful ways.
Sadhya with Rana Safvi- Saturday, 6th September 6 PM (Dinner Session)
Rana Safvi is a historian and author deeply committed to India's rich cultural heritage and diverse civilizational legacy. Her work spans a variety of media including writings, podcasts, videos, and translations. With a remarkable portfolio, she has authored ten books that delve into topics ranging from culture and history to the monuments of India. Notable titles among her works include "Tales from the Quran and Hadith," "The Delhi Trilogy: Where Stones Speak," "The Forgotten Cities of Delhi," "Shahjahanabad: The Living City of Old Delhi," "A Saint, A Folk Tale and Other Stories," and "In Search of The Divine: Living Histories of Sufism in India."
Sadhya with Prof. Pushpesh Pant- Sunday, 7th September 12 PM (Lunch Session)
Prof. Pushpesh Pant is a renowned Indian academic, food critic, historian, and author. A former Professor of International Relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, he is widely recognized both as an expert on Indian foreign policy and as one of the foremost authorities on Indian cuisine. He has written extensively for leading publications such as Forbes, Open, Outlook, Times of India and The Tribune. His book India: The Cookbook (2011), featuring 1,000 recipes from across the country, was named one of the best cookbooks of the year by The New York Times. Honoured with the Padma Shri in 2016, Prof. Pant has authored over a dozen books on food, travel, and culture, and continues to shape conversations on India’s culinary heritage and global presence.
Sadhya with Katriina Bahri- Sunday, 7th September 6 PM (Dinner Session)
Katriina Bahri is a dynamic entrepreneur in the food industry, originally from Helsinki, Finland. With a double degree in business management from Helsinki and Amsterdam, and a master’s in marketing from London, Katriina brings strong international expertise to her ventures. She has lived in seven countries—Finland, USA, Argentina, the Netherlands, UK, India, and Colombia—providing her with a rich and diverse cultural perspective that informs her work. Katriina began her journey in the food sector in Gurgaon, India, co-founding Lahja Co with her husband Udit and mother-in-law Mittu. The company specialized in corporate and personal edible gift hampers, B2B supplies, and corporate catering, focusing on quality and customization.
With South Meets North on a Leaf, Café Lota’s culinary vision meets Tales of City’s narrative spirit, transforming the Onam Sadhya into a celebration that goes beyond the plate, a gathering where food becomes story, heritage becomes memory, and a leaf carries the emotions of a culture shared together.
FAQ
What is this event about?
South Meets North on a Leaf is a celebration of Onam in Delhi through six festive harvest meals. Each gathering combines the traditional sit-down Onam Sadhya with South Indian classical music and reflections on food, memory, and culture.
What is included in the experience?
Every session includes the festive harvest meal of Onam Sadhya served on banana leaves, live South Indian classical music, and reflections from Delhi-based chefs, food historians, writers, and cultural voices who will share their perspectives on how South Indian food has touched their lives and shaped Delhi’s cultural fabric.
Why are the reflections not by Malayali speakers?
The experience is built on the theme South Meets North on a Leaf. The Sadhya itself is authentic and prepared in the traditional way by Café Lota. The reflections are shared by Delhi-based voices who speak about how South Indian food and the Sadhya have become part of Delhi’s shared story. The Malayali community is central to this tradition, and we warmly welcome them to join, celebrate, and share in this gathering.
Is the Sadhya authentic?
Yes. Café Lota is preparing the festive harvest meal in the traditional Onam Sadhya style. Guests will enjoy a wide variety of vegetarian dishes served on banana leaves in the customary sit-down format.
Can I attend multiple sessions?
Yes. Each session is unique and shaped by a different reflection, making every gathering a new experience. Guests are welcome to attend more than one, with a separate pass required for each.
What should I wear?
Guests are encouraged to come in traditional attire to embrace the festive spirit.
Is prior registration mandatory?
Yes. All seats must be registered in advance. Once passes are sold out, no last-minute registrations will be possible.
Is parking available?
Parking at the Crafts Museum is limited. Guests are encouraged to use public transport or app-based cabs for convenience.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
National Crafts Museum, New Delhi, India
Tickets
