Beerless in Delhi

The German Embassy in New Delhi will mark "the day of German unity", which falls on October 3, with a film show and festivities. The day has been a public holiday in Germany since the official reunification of the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany, and Federal Republic of Germany, or West Germany, in 1990. The lawns at German Ambassador Michael Steiner's residence will sport a scaled-down replica of the iconic Fernsehturm Berlin or the Berlin TV Tower. It will also have a functional model of a Spatkauf, the German convenience stores that remain open till late at night and sell everything from groceries to cigarettes and beer. These stores held the supply line food and beer for the thousands who congregated in Berlin in the days leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989. Germans aren't known to celebrate without beer. However, the German Embassy will not serve any beer to its guests this October 3 in deference to Hindu sentiments since the day coincides with Dussehra.