Raja, Rasoi aur Anya Kahaniyaan

Mayurbhanj is the largest district of Orissa with the beautiful town of Baripada as its headquarters. This region is identified as the land of a generous king Virata, who gave refuge to Pandavas of Mahabharata when they came to him in disguise. During the British rule Mayurbanj became one of the most progressive estates of the region. The initiatives taken by Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo towards the education and infrastructure could be still seen in Mayurbhanj.The wonderful work which was started by the erstwhile rulers of Maurbhanj is now continued by the present young princess of Mayurbhaj, Mrinalika and Akhshita who working relentlessly for the improvement of the local Tribal communities. Over the years Mayurbanj has successfully curved out its own space in the culinary map of India. With the amalgamation of Tribal and various royal cuisine from around the country Mayurbhanj has a unique taste which is similar to no other place in Orissa.

The history of Bhaisrorgarh is the history of valour and bravery of Rajput clans of Chundawats. Throughout the history they were ready to kill or die in the name of honor of their clan and motherland. They lived a very passionate life which was always unapologetically honest and fearless. The present prince Kunwar Hemendrasingh is no different but his passion is very unique to what previous Maharajas and princes must have seen. He is passionate about cooking. He brings all his life experiences into his unique dishes. By using just basic ingredients and subtle innovation he can create magically delicious dishes. His dishes are not only limited to Marwar cuisine but from various states of India.

The princely state of Jhabua is know of it hospitability. It is said no one goes hungry from the doorsteps of the fort of Jhabua. This tradition is still followed till this date, so much so that HH Laxmi Devi the mother of present Maharaja, Narendra Singh was called Annapurna, a woman who feeds everyone. The cuisine of Jhabua brings together the century old traditions which are influenced by many royal families. Most people related to the family bought their own traditional.This is episode go through the childhood memories of Maharaja Narendra singh ji. His memories with food, with the Khansamas, with travel, are worth preserving as they indicate a time one can know only in stories that seem fantastical and of a different world. To the era when Railway bogies were booked for the royal family, the voyages that the royal families made to Europe, the protocols of the chefs, the banquets, their hospitality, their diplomacy and their absolute love for food.

The Ghorpades come from a legacy that cannot be neglected when we speak of the Maratha empire and its prowess. The Ghorpade family who are closely related to the Chatrapati Shivaji’s own Bhosle family get their name from their display of tact using a ghorpad monitor lizard to scale the walls of their enemy’s fort. The Ghorpades were the commander in chief for many of the Bhosle family’s rulers and were the key family to hold down the Maratha empire in the Deccan region. Over the decades one of the Ghorpade branch found themselves settled in Sandur, a small town of Karnataka. Today, even though the family has launched off into business, Kartikeya is very adamant to hold on to one of their most prized legacies i.e. of Maratha cuisine especially the Maratha Deccan cuisine of Karnataka that distinguishes it from the others in the country.

Mithila, the northernmost region of the state of Bihar, part of which extends to Nepal, sparks with a very unique food culture. Here even the Brahmin community are fish eating, so immense is the love of fish here. The Banaili Raj family is a Maithili Brahmin family who come from a town called Purnia. They have been zamindars of Banaili Raj, over many years and treasure the culture of Mithila in their own way. One of the highlights of the Banaili Raj family is the kind of dedication they have towards their numerous festivals all laced with mythological stories and interesting rituals. Some very typical and essential of Mithila are Sama Chakeba, Maithili New Year, Jitiya. Girijanand, a member of the Banaili Raj along with being an writer is also a classical singer like his own uncle who was a famed singer and even had a very burgeoning durbar from where a lot of accomplished singers have made their mark on the world.