The ‘khati’ is a popular place for youngsters to hang out. Synonymous with ‘adda’ (in Hindi), it’s a place where a group of college students or young professionals assemble in the evenings to spend quality time with friends. Young men who want to meet their friends go to a ‘khati’ and not to their homes. Even girls have started meeting their friends at ‘khatis’ in the city. For them, the ‘khati’ is often a mall or a coffee bar. But the ‘khati’ is restricted to unmarried guys or girls. Orissa POST talked to a few young people who meet up with friends at ‘khatis.’
Prabhudutta Das, a software engineer with a reputed firm in Bhubaneswar, loves to spend the evenings at BMC Bhawani mall with his friends. He said, “I am new to the office. I have some good colleagues who are also my friends, but I can’t discuss my personal problems with them freely. However, I have childhood friends with whom I can discuss my professional and personal problems at a ‘khati.’ Sometimes, they help me out of a difficult situation with helpful suggestions. I feel relaxed after sharing my problems with them. We like to try different food items and usually return home around 10pm.”
Ankita Panigrahi, a student of an engineering college in the city, is a foodie. She said, “When I don’t get time to visit my ‘khati,’ I feel my day is wasted. I just love food, so on some days, I visit Pal Heights mall in the evening where my friends join me. On other days, we go to a restaurant. We don’t buy costly food. Instead, we usually gossip for a few hours over a couple of drinks. We discuss fashion trends and do some window shopping. We go around the shops if we are looking to buy clothes or shoes. Ours is not the only girls’ group in Bhubaneswar. There are other groups too.”
Gopa Meher, a young advocate from Bargarh district, is a regular at Gandhi Chowk ‘khati’ where he meets his friends after his day’s work at the district court. “I studied in Bargarh Law College and so have many friends here. All of us meet at Gandhi Chowk in the evening for relaxation. We love the chaulabara (rice-black gram fried cake) that is available close to the spot. We also watch movies sometimes. Being an advocate is tough and you need to relax after work. Hanging out at the ‘khati’ helps me overcome my fatigue.”
Swaroop Rath, a young artiste from Bolangir, is a regular at Ramai Talkies Square which, according to him, is not only his ‘khati’ but also a place where he can find good food. A couple of street vendors serve delicious food items there. Swaroop said, “Some of my like-minded friends visit the square to spend time together. We enjoy having tea and snacks. People, who want to meet me, come down there. They know I am not available at home at that time. We discuss many issues and I get to learn several things at the ‘khati.’ I am often busy with my work, but I make it a point to be at the ‘khati’ regularly.”
Himanshu Guru, OP
