Partition Tales: Billu Lassi Corner - A flavor of Faridabad and Mardan's legacy in a glass

By Saurabh Duggal

Hailing from Mardan, a district in the North-West Frontier Province, Ishwar Singh crossed the Radcliffe Line in search of a new home. After a stopgap arrangement in various refugee camps, he eventually settled in the New Industrial Township (NIT) in Faridabad, the largest resettlement area for people crossing the border at the time of Partition.

After performing minimal jobs to survive, he opened Billu Tea Stall, named after his son, Pardeep Singh 'Billu,' at NH 5 (Neighborhood No. 5, a part of NIT), in 1955.

Later, lassi and other dairy products were added to the offerings. The tea stall evolved into Billu Lassi Corner, and Billu's lassi quickly became the flavor of the city.

After Ishwar Singh, his son Pardeep Singh, also known as Billu, took over the business. Eventually, the third generation, represented by Satpal Singh, entered the family business.

"Due to my father's health issues, I started coming regularly to the shop in the mid-90s and gradually joined it full-time," said Satpal, 50, who graduated in sciences and lived his academic dreams through his son Ramandeep, who completed a BTech from YMCA Institute of Engineering, Faridabad, and is currently pursuing his master's in England.

"When my grandfather came to Faridabad, he had a tough time. Making ends meet was difficult, but thanks to the dairy product business he started, our family is now quite comfortable."

"What I can recall, the cost of a glass of lassi was Rs 3, and now it is Rs 50. Later, we added milk badam, and the recent addition is fruit custard. We still sell tea," he added.

What makes Billu Lassi special? "The purity. We make curd on our own from pure milk, and while making the lassi, we add a little ice and the layer of dahi malai on top of the lassi, added with a few drops of Rooh Afza, makes our lassi the flavor of the city," Satpal explained.

"Through our tea and lassi, we proudly contribute to the legacy of Mardan, the place of our forefathers," said Satpal.