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Hindustan Times
13-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Why UNESCO should grant Lucknow the Creative City tag under the Gastronomy category for its iconic Awadhi cuisine?
From Ram Asrey (since 1805), Madhurima (1826) Radhey Lal (1926), Prakash Kulfi (1956) to the famous Chhappan Bhog and Moti Mahal, Lucknow's sweet shops are in institution. Signature delights like Malai Gilori (malai paan), Kulfi, Imarti-Rabri, Thandai and Motichoor Laddo have stood the test of times. 'The reason behind delicacies like malai gilori is the secretly guarded formula, unchanged inception. Despite being highly perishable, its demand is phenomenal,' says Matrika Gupta of Ram Asrey. The city's vibrant street food culture is unmatched. Rattilal's khastey, the chai-samosa and bun makkhan at Sharmaji Ki Chai, the queues at Bajpai Kachori, rush for basket chaat at Royal Cafe and Shukla Chaat House, morning mattha at Chanakya Laddo, GPO-wale Dahi Bara, makkhan malai and kali-gajar ka halwa in winter testify Lucknow's love affair with flavours. 'Street food main Lucknow ki jaan basti hai. Like the chaat we get here you don't get similar taste anywhere,' says Chef Ranveer Brar. From Akbari Gate to different parts of Lucknow to New Delhi and Dubai, the melt-in-mouth Tundey's kebabs have put Awadhi delicacy on the world map. 'Since 1905, when my grandfather Haji Murad Ali started, we've maintained unwavering quality—that's our secret,' says its owner Mohd Usman. Raheem's kulcha nihari in Old City (since 1890), Mubeens since 1970s, Lalla's Biryani, Idrees Biryani since 1968 and Dastarkhwan chain are the flagbearers of the non-vegetarian delights. 'My father, Mohd Idrees, believed in serving fresh biryani in small batches. We never expanded, prioritizing quality over quantity—that's the essence of Awadh,' says Abu Bakar of Idrees Biryani. Several traditional families and heritage homes—like Mehmudabad Palace, royal families in Old City, Kakori and Malihabad—offer authentic home-cooked meals. Madhavi Kuckreja, who every year organizes the Home Cooked Festival during Sanatkada Lucknow Festival, says, 'During our festival, foodies travel from afar just to taste these flavors. The queues are endless, and dishes sell out instantly. At our Naimatkhana restaurant homecooked food is the biggest draw.' World's softest Kakori Kababs, Seek Kebabs, Roasted Kaleji, several types of breads like Sheermal, Rumali Roti, Girda, Khameeri Roti, Pasanda Kebabs, Boti Kewabs, Chicken Samosa are just few of the treasures found in the Old City, Aminabad, City Station, Daliganj, Hazratganj and beyond.
India Gazette
04-06-2025
- General
- India Gazette
UP: 62,000 prasad boxes dispatched from Lucknow for Ram Darbar Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 4 (ANI): As the sacred city of Ayodhya prepares for the grand Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Darbar at the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir, 62,000 boxes of prasad are being dispatched from Lucknow to mark the auspicious occasion. Kshitij Gupta, Marketing Head, Chhappan Bhog, spoke to ANI and said, 'We are very grateful to have received this opportunity to send prasad to Ayodhya. We have made Barfi with a mixture of chickpeas and Moongdal. Sixty-two thousand boxes of prasad are being sent from Lucknow for the Ram Darbar Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya Ram Mandir. We are sending 20,000 packets daily...' The sculptor of Ram Darbar, Satyanarayan, spoke to ANI and said, 'I do not have words to express. It is only when God showers his blessings that such events take place. Lord Hanuman has blessed us and provided me with this opportunity. It was not a work; it was a service. It took me seven months to make the idol.' 'I used to pray to Lord Hanuman that I want to get the opportunity to serve Lord Ram. Lord Hanuman has fulfilled my wish,' he said. The temple complex in Ayodhya has been decked in vibrant, colourful lights, casting a divine glow as devotees gather in anticipation of the spiritual milestone. The 'Pran Pratishtha' rituals of Ram Darbar, which are performed on the first floor of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Ayodhya, began on Tuesday. Visuals showed devotees queued up to offer prayers at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. The sacred ceremony began at 6:30 AM on Tuesday and will continue until June 5. Ahead of the ceremony, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra shared an X post showing the visuals of the Kalash Yatra organised at the banks of the Saryu River. The X post said, 'Ahead of the Pran Pratishtha karyakram at the eight devalay inside Shri Ram Janmabhoomi complex, a sacred Kalash Yatra was organised today from the holy banks of the Sarayu river, in the esteemed presence of revered saints, acharyas, trustees of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, distinguished citizens, and a large gathering of devotees.' Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is set to attend the Saryu Jayanti Janmotsav celebrations in Ayodhya on June 5, according to Mahant Rajkumar Das Maharaj, head of Shriramvallabhkunj. The event will be organised by the Anjaneya Sewa Trust. The event will be held from June 5 to 11, and the week-long celebration will feature devotional events, rituals, and spiritual discourses. (ANI) Earlier, Ayodhya officials had begun action to ban meat sales along key religious routes like Ram Path and Dharma 14 Kosi Marg, issuing notices to shopkeepers after complaints were raised at CM Yogi Adityanath's Janata Darbar. Ayodhya Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi also informed that a liquor ban is also being planned. Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Mayor Tripathi said that discussions regarding the ban had been ongoing for a long time. 'It was under discussion for a very long time that the sale of meat be banned in Ayodhya. It was decided that the sale of meat must be prohibited on Ram Path,' said Tripathi. He added that steps would soon be taken to prohibit the sale of liquor in the same areas. 'We are sure that we will soon ban liquor sale too...,' he told ANI. (ANI)
