Diary — Paris Olympics 2024 — Pakistani ‘Taj Mahal,’ Bangladeshi ‘Kashmir’

Experience the vibrant Indian community in Paris, with delicious food, passionate hockey fans, and unique city tours during the Olympics.

One comes across a decent number of people from the Indian sub-continent in Paris. Still, the presence of Indian restaurants are sporadic. The sight of one fills you in joy. The names of the restaurants are inviting too. Borders blur as Taj Mahal restaurant, owned by a Pakistani immigrant, close to the Yves du Manoir Stadium, and the Kashmir fast food centre, owned by a Bangladeshi, at Porte de Montreuil serves all sorts of tasty Indian food.

The owners greet you with warmth and respect when they learn that you have come down from India for the Olympic Games.

The Indian hockey fans are omnipresent. Wherever the team plays around the world, it is a common sight to see them donning the team’s colours and waving the tricolour. At the Olympic Games in Paris, the presence of passionate Indian supporters during the country’s matches, whether against New Zealand or Argentina, at the Yves du Manoir Stadium is a morale booster for the team. Indians have travelled in good numbers from the USA and different parts of Europe to show their love for the Harmanpreet Singh-led side. The way they welcome the team or support it through a match is heartening to see.

The Olympics have provided the Paris city authorities an opportunity to highlight different facets of the city. They have opened the Paris Media Centre, which is different from the Main Press Centre run by the International Olympic Committee, to conduct conferences on different issues such as social justice, health of the most vulnerable, swimmability for all in the Seine and Paris by bike. They are also organising interesting guided tours for journalists, including Sewer museum tour, Paris fountains, Passy reservoir, Caserne des minimes and meeting with artisans and iconic Parisian film locations. All this is to showcase their beloved city to the world.