ABlend of Tradition and Modernity in Kanwar Yatra Camps
This year’s Kanwar Yatra camps showcase a menu that strikes a balance between traditional and contemporary offerings.
From royal paneer and pulao to pasta, pizza, and momos, all dishes are prepared without onions and garlic, blending old and new culinary styles. Some camps are utilizing bread-makers and machines for chopping large quantities of vegetables, while others have declared themselves plastic-free to provide a clean environment for devotees. On Friday, the Uttar Pradesh government announced that district administration is continuously inspecting private camps to monitor food quality, cleanliness standards, and overall arrangements. Reports indicate that meals are being provided for Kanwar pilgrims throughout the day.
Daily Menu at the Kanwar Camp
Breakfast offerings include tea, biscuits, poha, and jalebi. The morning meal also features samosas, kachoris, bread pakoras, veg hakka noodles, and honey chili potatoes. For lunch, dishes such as royal paneer, kadai paneer, paneer lababdar, dal makhani, and mixed vegetables are served alongside choor-choor naan, butter naan, jeera rice, and roti. Desserts after meals include rabdi-jalebi, rasmalai, rasgulla, and gulab jamun.
In the evening, pilgrims enjoy spring rolls, chili paneer, manchurian, white and red sauce pasta, veg pizza, momos, macaroni, soup, and burgers. Dinner consists of chole-puri, matar paneer, pulao, dal, and roti, along with kheer, halwa, fruit custard, and gulab jamun. The statement also mentioned that the camp continuously provides lassi, buttermilk, juice, tea, coffee, and chilled drinking water.
Technological Advancements in the Kanwar Camp Kitchen
Another notable feature of the Kanwar Yatra is the machine at the Kankarkheda Trade Union camp, capable of kneading 20 kilograms of dough at once, along with an automatic roti-making machine. According to Neeraj Mittal and Operations Manager Rajesh Khanna, this machine produces approximately 16 rotis per minute, totaling around 900 rotis per hour, which amounts to 6,000 to 7,000 rotis daily. To assist in preparing large quantities of food, machines have been installed for chopping vegetables and preparing spices. Team member Sudhir Rastogi noted that the Modi Puram camp has arranged special food (‘falahar’) for fasting, including items made from buckwheat and water chestnut flour, potato dishes, seasonal fruits, and other fasting foods.