he state Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation today set a world record when 25 chefs prepared 1,995-kg “khichdi”, a traditional multi-grain dish, in five hours in a single vessel on the occasion of Makar Sankranti at Tattapani.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur announced this while addressing a gathering at Tattapani Tourism Festival in Karsog area of Mandi district.
The dish was to be served to the devotees arriving to take a holy dip at Tattapani.
Tourism and Aviation Director Yunus said the utensil used for cooking “khichdi” was 7×4 feet in radius and the attempt aimed at bringing Tattapani on world tourism map.
Appreciating the efforts of the tourism department, the Chief Minister said they had broken the past record with a huge margin of around 1,000 kg. Congratulating people on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, Thakur said it was the duty of every resident to preserve the rich cultural repository of the state.
Though serving “khichdi” is a 92-year-old tradition started by the late Durga Devi, now being carried forward by Durga Devi Bihari Lal Virochan Charitable Trust, the state tourism department this year actively associated itself with the programme.
With 1,995-kg “khichdi”, the trust this time broke its own past record of preparing 918.8-kg of the dish.
The vessel in which “khichdi” was prepared has been procured from Jagadhari in Haryana. Trust president Ramesh Sood welcomed the CM and other dignitaries on the occasion. DDBL Charitable Trust chairman Ramesh Chand Sood said: “Khichdi was the main attraction in Tattapani from the tourism department.”
Rishi Nath, representative of the Guinness World Records, said: “Now, khichdi’s new world record has been created.” The CM said Tattapani had immense potential of water sports. Earlier during the day, he visited Narsingh temple and Shani Dev temple. He also inspected the water sports activity demonstration and flagged off Tourism Circuit Bus of HRTC. He also enjoyed a ride of water jetty on the occasion besides laying the foundation stone of Lift Water Supply Scheme from Saroor Khad to Churag in Tattapani area, which would be constructed at a cost of Rs25 crore that would benefit 174 habitations of the area.