Coming Home to Prayagraj: Family, Street Food and Old Memories

Every year I fly home from Kuala Lumpur to Prayagraj. This is what that homecoming feels like: the Sangam, the street food, and a house full of family.

By Travel Treat Together14 April 20246 min read

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Imagine this: you are sitting at your work desk in Kuala Lumpur after a long day, looking at flight dates to India on your screen.

You have not packed your bag yet. You have not even booked the ticket. Still, a quiet smile appears on your face.

“Who will we meet first? Where will we go? And what will we eat on the very first evening?”

Just thinking about those questions changes how the whole week feels.

What is the very first thing that comes to your mind when you know you are going home?

As an Indian expat living and working in Kuala Lumpur, I travel to India every year. Travelling to new places is exciting, of course. But going back to my own city—Prayagraj—brings a completely different kind of happiness.

It is not just a holiday. It is a homecoming.

The Happiness Begins Before the Flight

When you visit a new destination, you look up hotels, famous landmarks, and metro maps.

When you visit Prayagraj—your own city—your checklist looks very different.

You start thinking about people, familiar streets, and favourite food corners. You imagine the morning noise outside the house, the first cup of tea at home, and the faces waiting at the gate.

Months before the trip, the family group chat becomes busy. We talk about what we will do, how we will plan our days, who we need to visit, and which food spots are first on our list.

For me, that anticipation is half the joy. Even while I am still in Malaysia, my heart is already walking through the lanes of Prayagraj.

Why Prayagraj Is Like No Other City in the World

If someone in Kuala Lumpur asks me about my hometown, I always tell them that Prayagraj (formerly known as Allahabad) is not just a city—it is a feeling where faith, history, literature, and everyday warmth live side by side.

To the world, Prayagraj is famous as the land of Triveni Sangam—the sacred confluence where three rivers meet: the clear waters of the Ganga, the greenish-blue flow of the Yamuna, and the invisible, mythical Saraswati.

It is the city that hosts the legendary Kumbh Mela (Mahakumbh), the largest peaceful gathering of humanity on earth, where millions of pilgrims, saints, and travellers come together on the riverbanks.

But Prayagraj’s story goes far beyond the rivers. Growing up here means growing up surrounded by landmarks that shaped India’s history and culture:

What Makes Prayagraj Famous Across India

Triveni Sangam & Kumbh Mela: Sacred boat rides, winter flocks of Siberian migratory birds, and soulful evening Ganga Aarti.
Chandrashekhar Azad Park (Company Garden): The green heart of the city, where history meets peaceful morning walks.
Anand Bhavan & Swaraj Bhavan: Iconic heritage homes that stood at the centre of India’s freedom movement.
Khusro Bagh & Akbar’s Fort: Timeless Mughal architecture, sandstone tombs, and centuries-old riverside walls.
Allahabad University & High Court: Known for decades as the “Oxford of the East” and a cradle of Hindi literature, poets, and Prime Ministers.
All Saints Cathedral (Patthar Girja) & New Yamuna Bridge: From Gothic stone architecture in Civil Lines to modern sunset views over the Yamuna.

When you live in a city, you sometimes take these places for granted. When you move abroad and come back once a year, every single road—from the old lanes of Chowk and Katra to the wide avenues of Civil Lines—feels priceless.

From Kuala Lumpur and the USA to One Hometown

Just like Prayagraj brings three rivers together at Sangam, our annual trip brings three parts of our family together under one roof.

My annual trip to India has one special rule: I almost always plan my dates around the time my sister—my Didi—and her family visit India too.

Didi lives in the USA with her husband and their two kids. I live in Kuala Lumpur. And our family roots are right here in Prayagraj.

Living in different parts of the world means we cannot just meet for a weekend dinner. So when we plan our India trip together, it turns a simple visit into a proper family get-together.

Three different time zones suddenly become one living room.

When everyone arrives, the house feels full again. There are open suitcases in the corners, gifts being unpacked, and conversations that continue late into the night.

A House Full of Generations—Baba, Dadi, Nana, Nani, and Mama-Mami

As famous as Prayagraj is for its monuments, for me the soul of the city will always be the people waiting for us at home.

A trip home is only complete when we meet everyone—Baba and Dadi, Nana and Nani, Mama and Mami, and all the cousins and relatives who have known us since childhood.

In our Indian homes, love shows up in simple ways.

It is Dadi asking if you have lost weight the moment you walk in. It is Nani saving your favourite homemade snacks and pickles in a tin box. It is Mama and Mami insisting that you stay for dinner, even when you say you just ate.

No one looks at the clock. You sit together, share old stories, laugh at childhood memories, and simply enjoy being in the same room.

In a fast-paced life abroad, this kind of unhurried warmth feels rare—and deeply comforting.

Seeing Prayagraj Through My Niece and 4-Year-Old Nephew’s Eyes

Travelling home becomes even more special when there are young kids in the house.

My Didi has a sweet daughter and a little son who is just four years old. Watching them experience Prayagraj brings a fresh energy to the whole family.

For my four-year-old nephew, every small thing in India is an adventure—from the sound of auto-rickshaws on the road and running around the lawns of Company Garden to being pampered non-stop by grandparents, uncles, and aunts.

And for my niece, it is a chance to see where her parents grew up, hear family stories, and feed the birds from a wooden boat at Sangam.

Seeing Baba, Dadi, Nana, and Nani smile as they play with the kids is a memory I carry back with me to Kuala Lumpur every single year.

The Flavours We Miss Abroad: Our Prayagraj Street Food Trail

Ask anyone from Prayagraj who lives abroad what they miss the most after family, and the answer comes without a second thought: Prayagraj’s food.

Malaysia and the USA have great restaurants. You can find Indian curries in almost any big city. But you cannot replicate the magic of standing in the lanes of Loknath, Chowk, Katra, or Civil Lines with your family, waiting for a fresh plate straight from the stall.

Whenever we all get together and step out, our evenings turn into a full street food trail:

Morning Kachori-Sabzi & Jalebi: Starting the day with Prayagraj’s iconic urad dal kachori, spicy potato curry, and crispy desi-ghee jalebi (the kind places like Netram made legendary).
Chaat & Golgappe in Chowk and Loknath: Tangy golgappe (pani puri), rich dahi bhalla, alu tikki, and spicy tamatar chaat—where nobody ever stops before asking for “one extra sukha papdi.”
Famous Allahabadi Churmura: A crunchy, tangy mix of puffed rice, peanuts, chopped onions, green chillies, and mustard oil that tastes like pure childhood.
Samosas, Kulfi & Kulhad Chai: Evening drives to Civil Lines for hot samosas with chutney, creamy kulfi-falooda, and earthy tea served in clay kulhads.
Winter Special—Allahabadi Surkha Guava: If you visit in the cooler months, nothing beats the famous ruby-red Allahabadi Amrood sprinkled with black salt and chilli powder.

The food tastes incredible, of course. But what makes it unforgettable is eating it together—passing napkins, sharing bites, and arguing happily over which old shop in town still makes it best.

From Sangam Boats to Civil Lines: Slow Days in Our Own City

What I love most about Prayagraj is its rhythm. Even as the city grows with new flyovers, cafes, and modern roads, it has never lost its old-world warmth.

When we are home, we do not rush like tourists. We let the days unfold slowly.

Some mornings are for quiet tea on the veranda with elders. Some afternoons are for visiting relatives across town. And some evenings are for driving across the New Yamuna Bridge (Naini Bridge) just as the sky turns orange over the river.

Living in Kuala Lumpur has taught me to appreciate new cultures and new places. Coming back to Prayagraj reminds me where my story began.

You do not need a grand itinerary when you come home. Being together in your own city is already the best plan.

What Does Coming Home Mean to You?

Every year, when the trip comes to an end, saying goodbye is never easy.

Didi and her family fly back to the USA. I pack my bags to return to Kuala Lumpur. The house becomes quiet again.

But we never really leave empty-handed. We carry back full hearts, phone galleries full of family photos, the lingering taste of Prayagraj street food, and the promise to do it all over again next year.

Whether you live in another country or another city, going home is a reminder of who you are and who holds space for you.

Next time you go home, slow down a little. Sit a little longer with your elders. Visit the landmarks you grew up with. Eat at that old street stall you loved as a kid. Make those memories count.

Where is your hometown—and what is the first place you visit or the first dish you eat when you finally reach home?

Have you ever visited Prayagraj or planned a big family reunion in your hometown? Tell us your favourite memory in the comments, or tag @traveltreattogether when you share your next homecoming story and favourite street food treat.