Barsati Party
You’ll have to forgive me as the title to this post is just terrible. I wanted to include the term barsati as that is the type of abode I live in, but was struggling to find a word to rhyme it with. In any event, I live in a barsati, which is essentially a small rooftop room or studio apartment that comes with exclusive (at least in my case) access to the remainder of the roof as your terrace or verandah, if you’re feeling fancy.
One website I came across claims that the primary purpose of such housing are as a “love nest, bachelor(ette) pad, or a rich brat’s party lot” and even included this as an example of usage: “I’ve found myself a wonderful Barsati in Hauz Khaz for 8 grand. I can sit out and have chai during the rains. When my Romanian boyfriend visits India, we both will sit and sip coffee on the ledge. He’ll surely love Delhi and India, if he stays in a Barsati!” Very strange.
I have neither a Romanian boyfriend, nor a predilection for rainy day chai consumption, but I am a bachelor so I suppose this description works.
I’ve referenced my apartment and neighborhood a few times, but realized I’d not really shared any images of where I live; The purpose of this post is to do just that. I live in a fairly mixed neighborhood, though it is predominately occupied by Indian nationals, with the one glaring exception being the American family from Michigan living directly below me. Needless to say, in my desire to “go native” and immerse myself in the local culture, this lone asterisk is a thorn in my side. It’s not that I dislike other expats, I just don’t want to see them.
Up the street from my apartment is a fairly large mosque and, when I am home, I get to enjoy hearing the evening call to prayer as the sun sets. I happened to have a camera at home with me last night (I do not own a camera, but had one of my office’s on me as I’ve just returned from a trip to Bhubaneswar) so I shot a short video that features the call to prayer and some footage of my terrace and surrounding neighborhood. You can find that bit o’ cinema at the end of this post, after the pictures.
During a Skype call with my family, I gave them the “grand tour” of my barsati, though I was left with the impression that they were less than impressed by it. By western standards, it doesn’t have much to offer. The bedroom-cum-living room is tiny (less than 100-square feet) and the bathroom and kitchen occupy even less space. That said, I do not own much, and have learned I need very little in order to be happy. The simple pleasure of having access to the outdoors and my own private terrace is more than enough luxury for me to feel satisfied.
Anyway, here are some pictures so you can see the magic for yourselves:
Exterior of my barsati
Bedroom-cum-living room (all of my clothing fits in that cabinet)
“Hallway” leading to the kitchen (that’s my fridge)
Bathroom
Buckets I use for bathing, clothes-washing, and cleaning the apartment
Kitchen (a largely ignored room)
Terrace as you exit the barsati. Please excuse the laundry on the line, haha
A different angle on the terrace as you exit the barsati; facing the front of the building
View of the neighborhood from the front of the building
Terrace at the back of the building. Doubles as my living room.
View of the sunset from my terrace, with pigeons in flight.
Originally published at kevinshane.me on November 7, 2013.
