Steam rises from pots of yellow moong dal at breakfast stalls, each bowl topped with lemon and spice, jalebi on the side. By late morning the brass lanes ring with hammers and engraving tools, and lamps and vases pile up in the shops of Peetal Mandi. At dusk the call to prayer drifts from the old Jama Masjid near the Ramganga.
Beyond the bazaars, families stroll Company Bagh, a garden from East India Company days, and weekly markets spill into neighborhood streets. Summers run hot, the monsoon soaks July and August, and winter mornings arrive cool and misty. When your plans run out, a Local Friend knows which workshop, kebab stall or riverside lane should come next.
