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Bhubaneswar, June 10: Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) is opening pitha parlours at 10 cities in the state for the Raja festival this year. It is an annual initiative of OTDC aimed at providing tourists with a taste of the state’s culinary culture.
According to OTDC officials, pitha parlours at Panthanivas-es in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack last year earned better profits compared with those of other cities.
This year, OTDC is organising the Raja festival from June 13 to 16 at Panthanivas-es in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Sambalpur, Barkul, Rourkela, Paradip, Chandipur, Konark and Gopalpur.
However this year the prices of different varieties of pitha have been hiked. Poda pitha which sold for Rs250 per kg last year will cost Rs300 a kilo this year. Similarly, muga bundi will cost Rs250 per kg compared with Rs200 a kilo last year. Similarly, other pithas such as kakara, pura manda, manda pitha (bhaja), arisha pitha, khira gaja, and dahi vada will cost Rs15 in place of Rs10 last year.
Needless to say, gifting pithas to relatives and friends will also be expensive this year as the prices of pitha baskets have also been increased. Baskets with one piece of each variety of pitha will cost Rs100 against Rs80 last year. But the OTDC is to offer two types of baskets, differentiated by weight, this year.
OTDC officials are awaiting the official clearance for the initiative, though. Alok Mishra, the marketing head of OTDC, told Orissa POST: “Though we have plans to make the initiative a success, we are yet to receive the green signal from higher officials. We have increased the price of all pithas this year. We plan to offer baskets of 100 grams and 500 grams respectively. While the 100g basket will cost Rs100, the 500g basket will cost Rs260.”
According to Mishra, three varieties of pitha are to be introduced at the pitha parlour in the Sambalpur Panthanivas this year. “Khuda manda, kadamba and muga papchi will be introduced in Sambalpur,” he said.
The OTDC had introduced pitha parlours at Panthanivas-es in 2011 and food lovers have since patronised these outlets. The parlours function only during the Raja festival and are closed for the rest of the year. They offer the option of ordering pithas in advance.
OTDC officials said the corporation was making necessary arrangements for visitors and tourists to enjoy Raja festival. Also, just as every year, dance, music other entertainment programmes will be part of the celebration.
Tourist in Dhauli will also get the opportunity to know about the festival and to enjoy it. The Tourist Guides’ Association has decided to set up three swings for visitors near Panthika at Dhauli. Additionally, four stalls will be set up for live art performances and traditional pitha stalls.
“This year we have decided to celebrate Raja festival at Dhauli so that tourists from other states can get first-hand experience of the festival. There will be four stalls of which one will sell four varieties of pithas, another stall will be dedicated to Raja Pan,” Arun Naik, an official, said.
The students of Dhauli Art College will give a live art demonstration in one of the stalls.
