Bhubaneswar: A five-day ‘Pakhala Utsav’ aimed at celebrating and popularising Odisha’s traditional dish comprising cooked rice soaked or lightly fermented in water, kicked-off at the School of Hotel Management (SHM), faculty of hospitality and tourism management of SOA Deemed to be University here, on Wednesday.
‘Pakhala’, a hydrating meal, is said to provide relief from the effects of high temperature and prevent heatstroke and is traditionally consumed in homes in Odisha round the year.
The festival was inaugurated by SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda who expressed happiness that the institute was promoting Odisha’s rich culture, handloom and handicrafts while highlighting the benefits of state’s iconic dish.
The culinary spread will be available to the public from April 1 to 5. Visitors can enjoy the food in the institute between 12 noon and 3 pm on the festival days (priced at Rs. 250 per head) in an ambience of a vibrant rural
setting featuring mud huts, earthen pots and bamboo structures while the students, faculty and staff will be sporting traditional Odia outfits.
‘The theme for this year’s festival is: ‘Odia Village: Handloom and Handicrafts Heritage’ offering the visitors a peep into the state’s rich rural traditions.
‘Pakhala’, also known by other names or its variants, is also popular in several eastern Indian states as also the neighbouring countries of Nepal, Bangladesh and parts of Myanmar.
Variants of Pakhala including ‘Usuna Pakhala’, ‘Arua Pahkala’, ‘Dahi Pakhala’, ‘Lembu Pakhala’ and ‘Ada Pakhala’ will be served to the visitors with side dishes which would comprise non-vegetarian offerings like ‘Patrapoda Machha’, ‘Chingudi Chhecha’,‘Machha Kalia’ and vegetarian accompaniments like ‘Patrapoda Chhatu’, ‘Aloo Baigan’, ‘Nadia Bhaja’, ‘Aloo Kalara Batti Tarkari’, ‘Saga Badi Bhaja’, ‘Kancha Amba’, ‘Tamato Chhecha’ and ‘Badi Chura’.
The initiative aimed to align with the institution’s vision of nurturing future hospitality professionals while preserving and promoting indigenous food traditions. The event also seeks to create awareness among young chefs about the importance of local ingredients, sustainability and traditional cooking techniques, Prof Susanta Ranjan Chaini, Dean of SHM, said.