Samosa Czar passes away
On Friday, 76-year-old Vishindas Wadhwa, founder of the iconic Guru Kripa passed away after a heart ailment. Set up in 1975, from a roadside pushcart to a hugely popular eatery, Guru Kripa has come a long way, thanks to his enterprise and commitment.
My first visit after lifting of the lockdown rules on eateries was Guru Kripa. And I had to stand in a long queue, which the neverstood-in-a-queue me didn’t seem to mind, to get the coupon for my samosa takeaway. Such is the magic of their samosas.
Famous for its samosachole and chaats, the eatery has been catering to all classes and age groups. From college students to film stalwarts like Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar, their samosa-chole rings a gastronomic chord. Legend has it that the owner once sent a carton of samosas to Amitabh Bachchan’s bungalow on the super success of one of his films.
Ask any Mumbaikar and he will relate to his foodie experience here. Grab your coupon, rush to secure a table and wait ravenously for your order. A tall glass of lassi and jalebis would add to the foodie experience.
The residents from the vicinity of Sion, Matunga, Dadar would make it a point to indulge in this Sindhi restaurant which also served meals, North Indian snacks, chaats and even south Indian snacks of late. But Guru Kripa stands tall for its samosas and where else would you get two lip-smacking dishes in one plate – samosa and chole. Be it birthday parties, college get-togethers or just time-pass, GK has been the go-to place for the world’s acclaimed snack.
Though not very high on hygiene, with a non-descript façade and unassuming interiors, it has an immense fan-following – all thanks to its popularity of samosas!
On a personal note, Guru Kripa was our chosen venue for an alumni meet where we classmates for gathered for the first time after 40 years! And those crisp, golden triangles filled with spiced-up potatoes served with chutney and spicy, tangy chole in modest slotted plates along with syrupy jalebis was reminiscent of our childhood visits.
Do you know the current multiplex generation, which relishes their packet of samosas in the intermission, comes from Guru Kripa? And they have been serving lunch boxes to hospitals, corporates and loyal customers.