‘Pakhala Utsav’ kicks off at SOA

Bhubaneswar: The six-day ‘Pakhala Utsav’, a venture to popularise the traditional Odia cuisine among the masses, kicked off at the School of Hotel Management, SOA’s faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, on Friday.

The festival, being held in the backdrop of a rural setting, was inaugurated by Saswati Das, vice-president of SOA.

Describing it as a unique move, Das said ‘pakhala’ has created an identity for the Odia people outside the state. She praised the special rural ambience created inside the institute to match the occasion.

Prof. Sitikantha Mishra, advisor-cum-dean of SHM, said ‘pakhala’ was part of every Odia home transcending the rich-poor barrier. The festival had started seven years ago but had been interrupted for the last two years because of the pandemic, he said.

Different variants of ‘pakhala’- cooked rice washed or lightly fermented in water – are being served to the visitors at the institute between 12 noon and 3 pm every day. It will continue till April 6.

The guests are being treated to ‘Usuna Pakhala’, ‘Arua Pakhala’, ‘Dahi Pakhala’, ‘Ada Pakhala’, ‘Chhunka Pakhala’ and ‘Lembu Pakhala’ accompanied by an assortment of vegetarian or non-vegetarian side dishes.