Chintan Shivir: In time of austerity, vegetarian cuisines to suit every palate

While there was no compromise on the quality of accommodation and the scale of arrangements, austerity was on the platter for delegates at the three-day Congress Chintan Shivir. The state's famous 'laal maas' will be missing from their plates and they will be served a strictly vegetarian fare. There will be no alcohol either.

However, the organisers have laid out, along with traditional Rajasthani delicacies, south Indian and Punjabi cuisines. "There is something to suit everyone's palate. While we are going to showcase Rajasthan's best dishes over the next three days, we will have something familiar for our guests from across the country," said Rajiv Arora, vice-president of the the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee.

The 400-odd delegates at the Chintan Shivir were invited to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's house for dinner Friday while the invitees will be served lunch at the event venue on all the three days.

Arora, who has been overseeing the arrangements, said guests have been put up in hotels on the basis of their states. Those from the Northeast have been put up in the same hotel and delegates from south India are staying together in another hotel. North Indians, delegates from Bengal, Orissa are staying together. This was done so that the cuisine they are served as part of the breakfast or room service is familiar to them and cooks have been assigned hotels accordingly.

Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, both lodged at Hotel Rajmahal Palace, are being offered the same fare at the event as others but their hotel will serve other cuisines too. Manmohan Singh, who is being hosted by Governor Margaret Alva at Raj Bhavan, will be offered traditional Rajasthani along with other dishes.

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