Regular readers of this column will be familiar with my love of Sunder Nursery – given how much I have rhapsodized about it over the years. It was my lifeline during the Covid years, when the open space and verdant green provided a respite to being cooped up at home. It helped that it had yet to be discovered by most Delhi folks, so there was no overcrowding and it was possible to walk for an hour and not be unduly disturbed by other people.
In the years since then, of course, the nature of Sunder Nursery changed, slowly but surely. Not only did more Delhiites discover its charms, making it picnic central during the winter months, but more and more events began to be organized there, which increased the footfall tremendously. Like all ‘regulars’ at some place which has now become too popular, I was a little sad about having my own little slice of heaven invaded by the marauding hordes visiting exhibitions, attending dance recitals and the like. But I consoled myself with the thought that at least more people were becoming acquainted with the park – and that could only be a good thing.
Well, my experience last week made me change my mind. It was a rare sunny afternoon in Delhi, so my husband and I decided to head out to lunch at Manish Mehrotra’s new restaurant, Nisaba, in the Sunder Nursery complex. The ride from our home to the park usually takes no more than 20 minutes but this time it took more than an hour. Partly it was that Delhi Police, in its wisdom (sarcasm alert) had decided to barricade one of the main roads leading to Sunder Nursery so everyone had to take a long detour to get there. But mostly it was that the footfall was so great – and the number of cars so large – that it was a nightmare even getting to the entrance. In fact, such was the over-crowding that all the parking slots were full, and everyone had to abandon their cars and trudge along to their destination.
I arrived there to discover that the Sunder Nursery I knew and loved had disappeared; it had been invaded by a heaving mass of humanity who had no inhibitions about shoving and pushing to get ahead of the crowd. Some of these people were there to visit Humayun’s Museum (part of the same complex), others were waiting for tables to open up at the various outlets in the restaurant hub downstairs, and yet others were just struggling to get into the park itself to enjoy a bit of sun.
e finally made it to our table, a good 40 minutes late, and had an excellent meal. But that is probably the last time I will be making that trek. Sadly, I have to admit that the Sunder Nursery I cherished as my personal haven is long gone. In its place, is a vast commercial enterprise, where every square inch of the space has been monetised without much regard to how it will spoil the ambience of the gardens.
So, I guess I have to find another park for my perambulation from now on. But I won’t be writing about my new haunt, having learnt the hard way that it is important to gate-keep some things. Wish me luck!
From HT Brunch, January 31, 2026
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