Bengaluru, 5 Sept

The festive season of Ganesha Chaturthi this time has ringed in a change in culinary preferences in Bengalureans. Many of them are shutting down their kitchen and turning to restaurants and caterers for their festive meals. Cashing in on this, eateries such as Agraane Kitchen in Banashankari, Hallimane in Malleshwaram, Holige Mane and Melkote Café are dishing out full-course bale yele oota (banana leaf meals), and sweet items such as holige and kadubu in abundance.

Agraane Kitchen started taking orders from 1 September for the festival meals which cost between Rs 300 and Rs 500 and have more than 18 items. “The bookings were more than more than we had expected and we had to stop the bookings after three days. We have booked almost 800 orders for both the days (Gowri Pooja and Ganesha Chaturthi) this time compared to the 500 orders last year,” Sakshi S, a representative of the restaurant, told Salar News.

Besides meals, the demand for ready-made holige has surged, especially from places like Holige Mane and Melkote Café, which has outlets across City. Holige Mane reported a 30 to 40 per cent increase in orders during festivals. Bhaskar KR, owner of Holige Mane, said: “Last year, almost 3.5 lakhs of Holiges were pre-booked and almost 2.5 lakh holiges were made on the day of Ganesha Chaturthi alone. This year, almost 5 lakhs of pre-bookings were made and we are hoping it will increase more in the coming two days of the festival.”

Melkote Cafe, which is famous for its traditional offerings like bele holige (dal holige) and kadubu (a traditional dumpling), has received 250 to 300 orders for both days of the festival. Chetan Bharadwaj, Business Head of Melkote Cafe, told Salar News “This is a significant increase from last year when we handled around 150 to 250 orders during the same period.”

Public opinion on ordering food is mixed. While many appreciate the convenience and variety offered by restaurants and caterers, traditionalists still value the personal touch and family bonding that comes with preparing food at home. Prakash S, a software engineer from Whitefield, said: “Earlier, my family used to spend days preparing for Ganesha Chaturthi, but now we order from a trusted restaurant. The taste and quality are almost the same, and it saves us a lot of time and effort.”

Hema Somu V, a homemaker from Jayanagar, said, “While ordering food is convenient, there's something special about making these dishes at home. It is a part of the festival's charm and tradition and even now we make all the dishes at home. It also helps in bonding with family members while making it together.”—Salar News