अपना बुंदेलखंड डॉट कॉम परिवार के सदस्यों को "रामनवमी" की शुभकामनायें। राम जिन्होंने बुंदेलखंड के चित्रकूट क्षेत्र में संकल्प लिया कि "निश्चर हीन महि करूँ , भुज उठाहि प्रण (Read More)
ApnaBundelkhand.com, MP: Bundelkhand may not yet be a state, but the recent grant at the generally peripheral region seems to have ignited a domino effect of attention to it. Still largely poverty stricken, its voice largely unheard not just at the federal but even the state level, it was desperately in need for knights such as Rahul Gandhi, whose espousal for the region’s upliftment is said to be behind the Rs 1,200 crore grant. Even then, Machan at Delhi’s Taj Mahal Hotel, the rendezvous point of the city’s high and influential, is not where the region is likely to have up for discussion. Except that of late it has been. For it has a unique proposition—10% of all revenues made from orders on special Bundelkhandi cuisine go towards conservation of forests in the vicinity of the four lodges operated by Taj Safaris in the area. This includes subsidising LPG gas connections for the villagers in the area, says Mridula Tangirala, Director (Operations), Taj Safaris. An LPG connection per family avoids removal of 600 kg of firewood per family, which in turn contributes in the retention of the biomass of the area, thus benefitting the entire ecosystem, including the tiger. What is interesting is that the women want the LPG connections as it saves them a lot of time, says Tangirala. The fairly inaccessible and luxurious lodges, jointly owned by Taj Hotels, & Beyond and Cigen, are located in different national parks in Madhya Pradesh—Kanha, Pench, Bandhavgarh and Panna. "The cuisine is rooted in traditions of the area,” says Tangirala, who says the same cuisine is also served at the lodges, though of course one may opt for more continental options as well. "At the lodges, we encourage whatever we can procure locally,” she says. Historically, the roots of this cuisine lie in the Rajasthan, and the staples of this predominantly rural and comparatively dry region are dominated by coarse grains such as jowar, besides varieties of wild rice—kodu and kutki. Some of the vegetables are not the A-list ones for the urban Indian—colocassia, lotus stems, mushroom, various local leaves. A favourite is the crisp lotus stem cakes which are mixed with boiled chick peas and shallow fried and accompanied by chilli and coriander chutney. As it is all home style cooking, festive dishes such as kukra ka jhol, country chicken consommé or jungle maas, lamb prepared with red chilli and...
