Khari Baoli and Connaught Place's 'Sherbet Naubahar'

This is a slightly delayed post, so my apologies. However, here is an interesting piece of early-mid 20^th century advertising. For all you sherbet fans out there, this is the ‘Sherbet Naubahar’ (translated as ‘Fresh Spring’ sherbet) sold by Harnarain Gopinath of Khari Baoli in Shahjahanabad/Old Delhi. The ad was featured in a magazine (unknown today) as a full-page spread. 

 

Harnarain Gopinath's business was established sometime in the late 19^th century. Today (as Harnarains) they are still in Khari Baoli and are distributors of pickles, jams and sherbets. This particular brand of sherbet however, appears to have disappeared off their product list. In the ad it also says they had a distribution centre in Connaught Place in New Delhi and that would mean two things. One, that this ad was placed after 1931 when the ‘New’ city was inaugurated and two, that with Gopinath's distribution centres in both Khari Baoli and Connaught Place, the business was expanding and the sherbets were popular. Indeed, from what I’ve gathered Sherbet Naubahar was endorsed by actors/celebrities all the way until the 1960s indicating a solid market. 

 

Interestingly, Naubahar was presented as a secular drink meant for Hindus and Muslims. It says ‘chahe use thakurji ko bhog lagayein ya rozon ki iftari mein noosh farmayein’. In other words, you could use it to offer oblations (for Hindus) or for Iftar (Muslims). Sherbets seemed (at least until recently) to have escaped the categorisation as purely religious drinks and Naubahar was part of that trend. More generally, it presents itself as an elixir, rejuvenating the body and soul (perhaps that was the reason for its cross cutting appeal).

 

Well that's it from me today, I'll see you Friday next week.