Not just Bhandara! On menu of Kanwar camps in Uttar Pradesh — Onion-garlic free pizza, momo, hakka noodles & more

The kanwar camps in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, are offering a wide array of food choices for devotees this year, including traditional and new favourites such as shahi paneer, pizza, pasta, momos, and more, all prepared without onion and garlic, according to news agency PTI.

In a statement issued on Friday, the UP government said district authorities are also continuously inspecting private camps to monitor food quality, hygiene standards, and overall arrangements.

Check full-day meal schedule at UP kanwar camps

Breakfast: For kanwaris, the day begins with tea, biscuits, poha, and jalebi at the UP camps. According to PTI, the breakfast options include samosas, kachoris, bread pakoras, vegetable hakka noodles, and honey chilli potatoes.

Lunch: The devotees are offered an elaborate spread, including shahi paneer, kadhai paneer, paneer lababdar, dal makhani, and mixed vegetables, served with chur-chur naan, butter naan, jeera rice, and rotis.

To complement the main course, the camps also offer sweet dishes such as rabri-jalebi, rasmalai, rasgulla and gulab jamun.

Evening snacks: PTI reported that pilgrims are being served spring rolls, chilli paneer, manchurian, white- and red-sauce pasta, vegetable pizza, momos, macaroni, soup, and burgers.

Dinner: For supper, the camps offer chhole-puri, matar paneer, pulao, dal and rotis. For dessert, the kanwaris get kheer, halwa, fruit custard, and gulab jamun.

A continuous supply of lassi, buttermilk, juice, tea, coffee, and cold drinking water is also being ensured at camps, the statement said.

After their long journey, devotees are also served hot 'kesar doodh' (saffron-infused milk) in traditional kulhads (clay cups) to help them replenish their energy.

Inside the Kanwar camps — Roti makers,

Some Kanwar camps are using roti-makers and machines to chop vegetables in bulk, while others have declared themselves plastic-free to provide a clean environment for devotees, PTI reported.

At the Kankarkheda Vyapar Sangh camp, a machine capable of kneading 20 kg of dough at once and an automatic roti-making machine have been installed, said coordinator Neeraj Mittal and operations manager Rajesh Khanna.

The machine produces approximately 16 rotis per minute and around 900 per hour, with a daily output of 6,000 to 7,000 rotis. Machines are also being used to chop vegetables and grind spices in bulk to help prepare meals for thousands of devotees in a short time.

Sudhir Rastogi, a member of the organising team at the Modipuram camp, said that special fasting-friendly meals ('falahar') have been arranged for kanwariyas who are fasting.

Dishes made from buckwheat (kuttu) and water chestnut (singhara) flour, potato curry, seasonal fruits, and other fasting-appropriate foods are being provided.

Plastic-free, hygienic camps

This time, many camps have been made completely plastic-free. Stainless steel utensils are being used to serve food instead of plastic or thermocol plates.

Overall hygiene at serving stations and a clean environment aim to convey a message of environmental conservation during the Kanwar Yatra.

Amit Murti, organiser of the 'Maa Kanwar Seva Camp', said that their objective is not merely to provide food, but to make the journey of the Shiv devotees safe, pleasant, and memorable.

Camp organisers noted that standards regarding food quality, hygiene, and safety are being strictly followed in accordance with the UP government's guidelines.

Teams of administrative officials are conducting periodic inspections to review the arrangements, while hundreds of volunteers are engaged in service around the clock, the statement said.

(With PTI inputs)