Catering is the spirit that sustains tourism. Most of the Indian tourists who make the record numbers visiting Kashmir now are vegetarians, but that is what Kashmiris associated with the business have not bothered to cash in on.Most veg food stalls are established, owned and run by outsiders. BILAL HANDOO reports.
Kashmir may be receiving record number of tourists, expected to cross two million this year, but the industry is not making record benefit of it. The bulk of the average low spending Indian visitor to Kashmir, including the pilgrims to Amarnath, are vegetarians. But that number is precisely what the caterers in Kashmir do not appear to be gearing up to service and benefit from.
Almost all the vegetarian food stalls along the tourist trails are owned and run by people who come from outside the state recognizing the opportunity. But no one seems to be interested about this business of vegetarian food catering in the unemployment ridden Kashmir.
Chains of Vaishno dhabas (vegetarian food stalls) and roadside chaat vendors are not completely new in Kashmir. But with the prevailing tourist rush it is big business.
Take a stroll along the banks of Dal Lake along the Boulevard and it is likely that huge rush of tourists around street chaat vendors will work as a frequent interception. Ram Baghat and Vikas are two such chaat vendors. Hailing from Bihar, they also came in a group with their fellow villagers. Tourists relishing their chaat, but locals too please their tastes with it. The daily income of each of them ranges from 200-400 rupees. The presence of these chaat vendors is a common sight around Srinagar now.
Tourists flock these veg food stalls, making themselves feel at home. “Since Indian tourists visit Kashmir in great numbers, our menu offers mainly Indian vegetarian cuisines,” said manager of Punjabi Rasoi, Mohammad Musharaf, who has come from UP. His Dhaba is purely meant for tourists and yatris.
The mostly non-vegetarian Kashmiri restaurants and food stalls cannot take advantage of this rush of vegetarian tourists. “There are so many Kashmiri restaurants which exclusively offer non-vegetarian food. Thus, the arrival of lakhs of vegetarian tourists seldom adds growth to local food industry,” said a businessman, pointing towards a huge opportunity missed by the locals.
Ramesh Chandra is proprietor of Dharma Vaishno Dhaba on Boulevard Road, Dalgate. His Dhaba is one of the oldest in Kashmir, started in 1971. He along with his three brothers currently runs four different food outlets under the umbrella of the Dharma brand in different tourist places. “We, Dharmas are serving the tastes of tourists for forty years now,” Ramesh said. His Dhaba prepares more than thirty vegetarian dishes daily, especially for the yatris who keep thronging his restaurant.
New non-vegetarian restaurants owned and run by Kashmiris are still coming up in good numbers, but tourism centric Dhabas by locals are missing. “The basic purpose to visit the valley is to feel it,” a foreign tourist was quoted by local channel. Experts believe that presence of outside food stalls in such numbers is fast changing perceptions of tourists about Kashmir. The Kashmiri factor, they say, is fast obscuring.
A walk along the Boulevard feels as if one in Delhi or any other part of India. Delhi Dhaba, Delhi Rasoi, Punjabi Tadka, UP Walo Ki Punjabi Rasoi and such like can be seen all along. Nothing seems Kashmiri in this area except the Dal Lake.
“Yatris are our main customers along with tourists. Only a handful of locals come to relish Dal roti sometimes and therefore business doesn’t suffer so much during Ramazan,” said UP based Manager of Delhi Rasoi, Waseem Kaunsar. This Dhaba is in operation for the last ten years now and its workforce, like that of other nearby Dhabas, is also from outside the state.
Many believe that if local youth follow the modal of the outsiders have adopted here in setting up vegetarian Dhabas, the menace of unemployment will be kicked out of Kashmir.
