Nagpur’s very own celebrity chef Vishnu Manohar, who already has several records to his name, is all set for another record. He will be preparing ‘Shri Ram Halwa’ at three places -- Ramtek, Koradi, and Ayodhya -- on different dates from January 21, to mark the historic occasion of consecration of Shri Ram Temple at Ayodhya. The celebrity chef Vishnu Manohar, who had participated in the ‘Kar Seva’ during the Ramjanmabhoomi movement, has come up with the concept of ‘Kar Seva Se Pak Seva’ (from ‘Kar Seva’ to cooking service). Under this concept, he eyes setting five new records. The first one will be of cooking a record quantity of ‘Bhogichi Bhaji’ -- a special dish made with seasonal vegetables but without onion and garlic, and offered to deity on the occasion of ‘Makar Sankranti’. He will cook the dish on January 14. The second record will be of making a special ‘Kadhai’ (cauldron) of 15,000 litres capacity and weighing 1,700 kgs. The ‘Kadhai’ will be made from steel used for making gates of dams. “It will be the world’s biggest ‘Kadhai’ to be used manually. Crane will be deployed to lift it,” he told ‘The Hitavada’. It will be ready by January 17/18. This ‘Kadhai’ will be used for making ‘Shri Ram Halwa’ at three places.

 

According to Vishnu Manohar, the ‘Kadhai’ will start its journey from Nagpur to Ayodhya on January 20. A procession will be taken out to mark the occasion. Various dignitaries have been invited to grace the occasion. On January 21, it will reach Ramtek, where another record of 5,000 kg ‘halwa’ will be set. On January 22, one more record of 6,000 kg ‘halwa’ will be set at Koradi. At these places, the records will be in the name of the Shri Ram Mandir Trust, Ramtek and Shri Mahalaxmi Jagdamba Mandir Sansthan, Koradi.

 

“The ‘Kadhai’ will start its journey to Ayodhya on January 23. The main record will be set at Ayodhya, where I am planning to make 7,000 kgs of ‘Shri Ram Halwa’ on January 29 and 30. We have sought 1,000 litres of ghee from Tirupati Tirumala Devsthanam. Besides, hundreds of kilogrammes of rava, cardamom, cashewnuts, raisins, milk, sugar will be used for making the ‘halwa’. After offering it to Ram Lalla, it will be distributed as ‘prasad’ to about one-and-a-half lakh devotees,” said the celebrity chef. The record will be set in the name of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust. The temple at Ayodhya is all set to be consecrated on January 22. There is lot of excitement across the country regarding the main ceremony. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the main consecration ceremony, which will be attended by several VVIPs from India and abroad. The Vedic rituals for consecration ceremony of the idols of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya will begin on January 16.