Delhi just got its first African cultural centre — and it’s Ethiopian. The newly inaugurated Ethiopian Cultural Centre, tucked away in Chanakyapuri, is a vibrant blend of café, museum, and community space that brings East Africa closer than ever to the Indian capital.
The centre is the initiative of Ambassador Fesseha Shawel Gebre and his deputies Molalign Asfaw and Bizunesh Meseret of the Ethiopian Embassy. Designed by Devashish Kishore, the space captures the aesthetics of Ethiopian life, with bamboo, wood, and earthy tones inspired by the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bright yellow meskel flowers — symbols of fertility and hope — adorn the interiors, while handcrafted Ethiopian wall art adds texture and storytelling to the ambience.
Visitors can explore a museum section featuring tribal hats, baskets, instruments, and archival photographs — vivid reminders of Ethiopia’s rich heritage and its unexpected cultural echoes with India.
At its heart lies a café that celebrates Ethiopia’s legendary coffee tradition. Guests can join the traditional coffee ceremony, where freshly roasted Arabica beans are brewed in a clay pot called a jebena. Chef Mulunesh Ayele leads the kitchen, serving homestyle Ethiopian dishes built around injera, the signature fermented flatbread. Highlights include Beyaynetu, a platter of stews both vegetarian and meat-based, and Doro Wat, the famed spice-rich chicken stew seasoned with berbere, Ethiopia’s aromatic spice mix.
Membership applications are now open to the public, inviting Delhiites to enjoy a slow lunch under the trees while discovering a taste — and soul — of Ethiopia. For the city, the centre marks not just a culinary addition, but a new cultural bridge between India and Africa. (First Published on the Indian Express)
