A fire in the iconic Gulati restaurant, a favourite haunt of foodies, in the wee hours of Wednesday in the heart of the national Capital left its patrons broken-hearted. Serving the gourmet since 1959, this famous eatery has had among its clients a number of dignitaries regularly visiting the eating joint to savour the delicacies on offer. As the disheartening news of the fire that gutted a good portion of the restaurant spread by word of mouth, many Delhiites got nostalgic reminiscing about their times at the eatery which is etched in their memories forever.
The restaurant that had a humble beginning as a small “dhaba” with simple wooden benches and tables, transformed into a fine dine restaurant in 2013, giving a perfect dining experience to the visitors. The restaurant was also known for its great ambience. The fire broke out at 2.48 am in the sitting area of Veg Gulati restaurant adjacent the main restaurant, and is a vegetarian alternative to the same. The leaping flames soon spread to the first floor and caused extensive damage.
Sharing their sense of loss, many fans of the restaurant told The Pioneer that the place was part of many family gatherings. Twenty-six-year-old Aditya Ahuja, who works as a content writer at Prasar Bharti, reminisced how he visited the place with his father as a toddler.
According to an official of Delhi Fire Services (DFS), it took one hour for four fire tenders to bring the blaze under control. The cause of fire is suspected to be a short circuit. Police has said a probe is underway in the matter. Over the years, the restaurant has emerged as one of the best serving North Indian cuisine in the city. Long queues outside the place are a usual sight. However, this doesn’t deter foodies from visiting the restaurant to savour their favourites dishes which include dal makhni, naan and dahi kebab.
28- year- old Sameeksha Thakur, who is an account lead, shared that she has visited the place for more than 100 times since she was a kid.
“Gulati has always been an integral part of our family gatherings and celebrations. Along with great flavours, the restaurant has been impeccable with their hospitality. Their signature dal makhni and naan has been a personal favourite since I was a kid. Seeing the space and decor evolve over time, it’s really disheartening to see the firebreak out at the restaurant,” said the resident of Kalkaji.
Another stated how the news came as a shock and that the authorities need to check restaurants for any negligence in complying to fire standards. A 23 year old Arnav Khanna, who is a journalist, said, “Hearing about the fire at Gulati’s has come as a huge shock. Going there with the family was a yearly ritual, especially during winters. Really hope it becomes operational again because the food and ambience there was unmatched. Authorities must also look into fire compliance norms being followed as these cases of restaurant fires have become frequent.
Additionally, a fire broke out at a plastic bag manufacturing unit in outer Delhi’s Narela Industrial area early Wednesday. An official from the DFS said the call regarding the fire was received at 1.42 am and 16 fire tenders were pressed into service. The blaze was brought under control after three hours of dousing operation and the cause of the blaze is being ascertained by the police. Fortunately, no one was injured in both of these incidents.
