A shot of hot, Himalayan rasam at Avva’s Cafe in Bir

Bir, the village in Himachal known for its paragliding, has an authentic South Indian café just off the landing ground

Dotted along the entry to Bir are signboards that say “AVVA’s café, flavours of southern India”. Considering that this is a village in Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, with a population of Tibetan refugees and local folk, this is a bit of a surprise. Situated close to the landing ground — Bir is known for its paragliding — the café’ itself is even more of a surprise. Its Japanese-inspired interiors: White walls, loose stones on the floor, locally-made wooden tables and chairs, rope, and tin lamps are the not the sort you would expect in a place serving puliyogare. Two large glass windows frame the snow-capped Dhauladars, mist circling them, and the barley fields just outside. The building has one of the few terraces in the area not used for a plastic water tank. On its two levels, people sit and sing, read, work, as the cool wind blows.