सभी का स्वागत
All Welcome
All Welcome
In Dishoom King’s Cross, we pay homage to a particularly special, pioneering woman whose aim was to capture the world through her camera so that important moments in history might always be remembered and preserved.
Homai Vyarawalla was born into a humble Parsi family in 1913 and began working as a photojournalist in 1938. Despite whispers of disapproval and the forces of an orthodox society working against her, she went on to become India’s first female photojournalist and a champion chronicler of history.
Her extraordinary lifework spans three decades from the late 1930s to 1970, during which time she captured iconic moments from India’s history, such as the meeting of Gandhi and the Congress Committee to determine the vote for partition in 1947; the first Independence Day celebration; and the funerals of political leaders, such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
We love her images. They are poignant and captivating and allow us a glimpse of the most historic moments in India’s history. She captured both the euphoria and the disappointment that defined the independence and post-independence eras, with pictures that convey palpable human emotion.
Homai is without doubt, one of the most significant chroniclers Indian Independence and her pictures are indelible treasures that both current and future generations will be able to keep forever.
In our own small act of remembrance, we admire the images taken by this talented lady, who touched the lives of millions with her photos.
Gandhi addressing the All India Congress Committee delegates, 14th June 1947
A show of hands: voting for Partition, 14th June 1947
First Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru Swearing-In ceremony, 15th August, 1947
Mountbatten among the jubilant crowds outside the Parliament House on 15th August, 1947.
Crowds congregating at the Red Fort, 16th August 1947, with the Jama Masjid in the background
Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the day before he left for Pakistan, 1947
Gandhiji’s body at Birla House, 31st January 1948
The Mountbatten family at Gandhi’s cremation at Rajghat, 31st January 1948
Nehru’s Cabinet, 1948
Homai Vyarawalla – India’s first woman photojournalist
Photos and captions courtesy of “India in Focus. Camera Chronicles of Homai Vyarawalla,” by Sabeena Gadihoke.
Vaisakhi, a day marked across India by people of many faiths, is celebrated in the Punjab as the start of the new Harvest. It falls on the 13th or 14th April depending on the calendar for that year.
Spring has gently tiptoed in. As the days lengthen and the sun grows bolder, here’s a glimpse of what we eagerly await in April.
We’re turning page after page of Ayesha Erkin’s recipe book Date of the Day, featuring 30+ recipes for the modest date – timely for breaking fast and after. Our dear friend Ayesha has now kindly shared a recipe for you to make at home. Try it this Iftar or any time you need a salty-spiced sticky treat.
The holy month of Ramadan is upon us, when Muslims around the world fast daily from dawn till dusk. It is a time of private worship and spiritual discipline, but also of shared joy and abundant feasting. Families and communities come together at suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, and at iftar, the evening meal, to break their fasts with copious, delicious dishes. Join us on 7th April for our own Iftar celebration – for an evening of feasting and live music.