Hospitality Management Institutes and Pahari Cuisine: An Unexplored Combination in Promoting Tourism: A case study of the hill state of Uttarakhand

Abstract

Uttrakhand, long called adobe of the gods has a culturally colorful society. The religious, social and cultural urges of the people finds an expression in various fairs and festivals. The region has a very old and rich culture and shows a distinctive pattern with the elements from each of the ethnic groups and sub-group that reside in this place. It can be said that the cultures of Uttrakhand is a juncture where different cultures of the Kumauni-Garhwali meet. Uttrakhand socially houses seven different cultures. Uttrakhand belongs to some of the holiest Hindu shrines and for more than a thousand years, pilgrims have been visiting this region in the hope of salvation and purification of sin. Being such an old pilgrimage destination the cuisine of this northern state has never received much attention. No region can be considered to possess a robust cooking cultural heritage if the cuisine is not up to mark. The culture of Uttrakhand has maintained a good standard of culinary system. The Pahari Cuisine has a tremendous capacity to heal and nurture the human life in the most purified form. The food has been cultivated in a more original way of ages which helps the locals to live a very healthy life in such tough conditions. Being a tourism state Uttrakhand has become a hub of hotel management institutes. These institutes can play a vital role in the promotion of regional cuisine. It can be used as a platform, where regional cuisine can be researched on and hidden treasures can be explored to provide a new dimension to the tourism sector. They are required to practice the art of nurturing the region so as it would turn itself into a tourist attraction.

Keywords: Regional Cuisine, Garhwali Cuisine, Kumauni Cuisine, Hotel Management Institutes, Cultures

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