For Rice University graduate student Jui Kharade, a visit to Houston’s Mahatma Gandhi District offers more than a chance to restock her kitchen. It is an opportunity to find familiar flavors, explore South Asian culture and spend time with friends beyond the hedges.
Kharade, a doctoral student in materials science and nanoengineering, is originally from India. She visits the Hillcroft area about once a month for its concentration of Indian restaurants, grocery stores and clothing and jewelry shops.
“I mostly go there to get all the Indian food,” Kharade said. “I love to go see what they have and get some food from home from India.”
Located a few miles from Rice, the district gives students a window into the diversity that defines Houston. Its businesses primarily represent South Asian and Middle Eastern cultures, but visitors can also find shops and restaurants serving the city’s broader international community.
Kharade said she was surprised by the district’s size when she first discovered it.
“I did not expect there to be this many Indian restaurants and stores,” she said. “I thought it was just going to be a small street and then just a few stores, but it’s huge.”
For Kharade, the area also feels genuine.
“I’m from India, and I would say that I think the food and everything here is really authentic,” she said.
Getting there, however, has not always been easy. Kharade does not own a car and previously depended on friends when she wanted to visit the district. A new Rice grocery shuttle route on Wednesday evenings is helping remove that barrier. The shuttle picks up in front of the Rice Student Center.
“Normally, I just go whenever my friends are free, and I have to go with them,” she said. “But now I can go by myself and also take my friends who don’t have a car.”
The midweek route grew from conversations about supplementing Rice’s existing weekend grocery shuttle service, according to Rick Mello, associate vice president of Campus Services and Sustainability. The Graduate Student Association helped determine the destination, stops, schedule and day of the week.
“GSA picked the day, they picked the location, they picked the stops, they picked the times, and this is where we are today,” Mello said.
Interest was apparent during the outing, when transportation director Matt Eggert arranged for a larger bus after seeing how many students had gathered for the trip.
Mello said the shuttle can serve several purposes: helping students buy groceries, allowing them to share a meal and providing time to recharge outside their academic work.
“The biggest thing now is it’s something our students can count on and put it as part of not only getting groceries, but going out and having a meal and just social activity,” he said.
The service also makes more of Houston accessible to students who may otherwise remain close to campus.
“I love Houston because of how diverse it is, and there are so many things to do,” Kharade said. “The shuttle gives us a chance to explore all of this away from Rice.”
Her recommendation is simple: The Mahatma Gandhi District is worth experiencing, regardless of a visitor’s background.
“No matter what ethnicity you are, you should come check it out,” she said.