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| Gujrati tourists relish their own ‘thali’ in the land of ‘wazwan’ | | | Jammu, May 12
Tourists from Gujrat, visiting Jammu, Mata Vaishnov Devi and Kashmir, are a separate class by itself. They neither cherish Kashmiri Wazwaan, nor Dogri Thali, nor Continental dishes nor the Chinese delicacies. Where ever they go they must have typically Gujrati dishes and delicacies.
A couple of tour operators, including Akhil Bharat Tours and Travels, bring big groups of tourists and pilgrims from Gujarat for visiting various shrines and scenic resorts. These operators have booked Gujrati cooks who prepare Gujrati delicacies for the tourists.
Ganesh and Laxman, are members of a five-member troupe of cooks from Gujrat. Laxman said “young cooks and helpers get Rs.100 per day from the travel agent and the head cook draws Rs.350 per day.” “We accompany the Gujrati tourists to Katra, base camp for Vishnov Devi pilgrimage, where we cook food of the taste of tourists.”
Another group of five cooks have been stationed in Srinagar who looks after the requirement of the tourists from Gujrat whenever they visit the shrines and scenic resorts. “We do not mix non-Gujrati dishes with Gujrati delicacies”said Ganesh the head cook. Another trait for Gujrati tourists and pilgrims is that the tour operators have their utensils which they use for cooking dishes in a make-shift kitchen even in three-star hotels in the state. Asked what makes Gujrati dishes separate from the northern Indian delicacies Ganesh said “in most of the vegetable preparations, including Daal, we have to use sugar.”
During their journey from Jammu to Katra or from Katra to Srinagar these tourists from Gujrat prefer to eat from the Tiffin’s prepared by the cooks from their state. The only deviation is soft drinks which they accept during their travel. Ganesh said that for the satisfaction of Gujrati tourists the travel agents have stationed Gujrati cooks in several other states which are frequented by people from Ahmedabad and adjoining areas.
According to tour operators for the tourists from the deep south restaurants and hotels in northern Indian states have the provision for preparing Idli and Dosa and other South Indian dishes. They said though “we have booked cooks from the south also but their number is small when compared to those from Gujrat.” Asked why the tourists from Gujrat refuse to enjoy even Gujrati dishes in hotels and restaurants in north India the tour operators said that “Gujratis have one apprehension. They fear that hotel wallas prepare dishes in oil which had been earlier used for frying mutton and chicken.”
Gujrati tourists and pilgrims, tour operators said, ‘WW want their favourite dishes prepared in a Gujrati kitchen flavour.” “We have to cater to their requirements because the number of tourists and pilgrims from Gujrat to Jammu and Kashmir remains bigger than any other Indian state.”
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