Kashmiri wazwan, kehwa major attraction in Dilli Haat

Srinagar, Jan 22 (UNI) Kashmiri 'wazwan' (cuisine) and 'Kehwa' (tea) are so popular with Delhi gourmet that a sale of Rs 1.5 lakh was registered in a single day during an ongoing food festival in the national capital, a senior Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) official said today.

JKTDC General Manager Fayaz Ahmed Bala told UNI that the Kashmir food, craft and cultural festival, which started on January 17, was attracting huge crowds at 'Dilli Haat' in the national capital.

He said Kashmiri 'wazwan' and 'kehwa' were huge hit with Delhi crowds as the sale of these items fetched Rs 1.5 lakh to the JKTDC on the fifth day of the festival yesterday alone.

Mr Bala said about 10,000-15,000 of people visit the festival everyday, most of them in the evenings when Kashmiri dance and music programmes were being organised.

He said this was for the first time during the recent past that such a large number of people visited the festival.

Mr Bala also said that the Delhi government has agreed to provide the JKTDC, a majority of pavilions and stalls in 'Dilli Haat,' next winter for the festival.

JKTDC Managing Director Aziz Wani said 'free-of-cost' stalls have been provided to horticulture, floriculture, handloom and handicrafts departments so that products of the entire state could be showcased and promoted during the nine-day festival in Delhi.

Apart from Kashmiri 'wazwan', he said the main attraction of the festival was performances by a cultural troupe of the Jammu and Kashmir Information Department, headed by Shafiq Qureshi.

''A live demonstration by Kashmiri artisans doing embroidery work on shawls has also been organised. The traditional workmanship, fascinating glimpses of rich culture depicted by folk artistes and the food has inspired a large number of people to visit the Valley in the near future,'' Mr Wani said.

He said Finland President Ms Tarja Halonen along with her spouse Dr Pentti Arajarvi and 30 other delegates visited the festival yesterday and enjoyed Kashmir 'wazwan'.

Ms Halonen was highly impressed with the Kashmiri food festival and cultural presentation, the JKTDC Managing Director said.

She also interacted with artistes and praised Kashmiri 'rouf', the traditional folk dance.

On the occasion, Ms Halonen said the people of Finland were keen to visit Kashmir which is a beautiful tourist destination of the world. She was also gifted some famous Kashmiri items.

''Encouraged by the overwhelming response during the ongoing festival, the JKTDC has decided to hold such events in a big way all over India and abroad to showcase the food, craft and culture of Jammu and Kashmir,'' Mr Wani added.

UNI