PICNIC HOUR IN NCR!

Scrolling through Instagram these days, I couldn't help but notice that almost every second photo is of a jolly group basking in the gentle winter sun, on one of Delhi's many gorgeous public gardens.

- VERNIKA AWAL

The writing's on every wall—it's picnic hour in NCR!

Though our expectations as Dilliwalas are extremely low when it comes to fresh air, one cannot help but fall in love with the scenic outdoors and the monumental beauty of the city, especially during winter. The expansive, manicured gardens with water bodies that skirt around them, dotted by centuries-old relics that stand as stoic reminders of Delhi's fathomless history, have a near-magical power to heal your soul. For a few moments, you forget that Delhi has over 3.4 crore people living within its inclusive walls!

Picnic, thus, is vital sustenance to savor the city's winter joys. The word 'Pique-Nique' first appeared as the name of a protagonist prone to bouts of gluttony in a French burlesque satire from 1649, and by the 18th century 'pique-nique' had become a fashionable indoor activity for the aristocrats of France. As the French Revolution dispersed the aristocrats to other parts of the world, the concept had evolved from being an ostentatious activity, to the 'picnic' that we know of today—once the middle-class accepted it into their lifestyle.