Are you travelling to Jaipur? 5 must-try dishes locals can't stop talking about
All the fire of the original Junglee Maans—once cooked with just red chillies and meat in royal hunting camps—now with a modern, city-style twist. The meat is shredded and slow-cooked until melt-in-the-mouth, served atop flaky khari biscuits. A sharp pickled onion cuts through the richness, giving you a bite that's pure Jaipur.2. BAJRA KHAKRA CHIPSCharred Tomato Espuma Mathania Ghee Mint-Coriander DustIf Jaipur had a signature snack, this would be it—the perfect partner for gossip sessions in Raja Park or evening rooftop drinks. Crisp bajra khakra chips meet smoky tomato espuma, drizzled with warm Mathania ghee and finished with a mint-coriander dust. Rustic, yet dressed up—just like the city itself.3. LAAL MAANSCurd Mutton Mathania Chilli Whole SpicesEvery Jaipurite has a Laal Maans story—a winter dinner, a wedding feast, or that legendary restaurant order no one could finish alone. This version stays true to its roots: fiery Mathania chillies, creamy curd, and whole spices that build layer upon layer of flavour. Bold, proud, and unforgettable.4. DAL BAATI BITESLentil Pt Garlic Chutney Chilli Gel Churma HoneycombDal Baati, but reimagined. All the classic components—dal, baati, lehsun chutney— are compressed into one flavour-packed mouthful. Creamy lentil pt meets the heat of garlic chutney, balanced by a sweet churma honeycomb. Its nostalgia is served with elegance.5. JODHPURI NAANZAFresh Mozzarella Spicy Mutton House Special SaucePart naan, part pizza, and all drama. The Jodhpuri Naanza combines spicy mutton, gooey mozzarella, and a secret sauce with a cult following. Perfect for terrace parties, cricket nights, or when you're simply craving something loud and unapologetically flavourful.In Jaipur, food is a memory, and these five dishes are the kind you'll keep coming back to. Built on everyday favourites with a twist that keeps you hooked, they capture the city's true taste. If you've ever leaned over a street cart for that perfect bite or wandered Bapu Bazaar with snack cravings, you'll know exactly what we mean. And if you haven't—consider this your invitation.- Ends
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India Today
6 hours ago
- India Today
Ganesh idols: Immersed in ecological uncertainty
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated August 18, 2025)In a small workshop in Hamrapur village, 60 kilometres from Mumbai, Nitesh Daur stands quietly amid neat rows of white Ganesh idols. Crafted from Plaster of Paris (PoP)—a lightweight, detail-friendly material—the statues have been his livelihood since 2005. 'If I shut down this business, what will I do?' asks the 35-year-old father of two. 'I have no other skills.'advertisementDaur's anxiety stems from a long-running legal battle over the environmental impact of PoP idols, the genesis of which can be traced to a 2005 PIL by the late rationalist Narendra Dabholkar's Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti. On January 30, this year, the Bombay High Court issued an interim order, directing civic bodies across Maharashtra to enforce the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) 2020 guidelines banning the immersion of PoP idols—even in artificial tanks—during the Maghi Ganeshotsav (January-February).The rationale: PoP's adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems. The result: a swift crackdown by municipal bodies and police. On June 9, the court modified its order, allowing the manufacture and sale of PoP idols—so long as they aren't immersed in natural water bodies. A CPCB expert panel has also clarified that its 2020 guidelines were advisory, not mandatory. The partial reprieve has given idol-makers like Daur some breathing room ahead of this year's main Ganeshotsav, which begins in late August and is the most popular festival in Maharashtra. Then, on July 24, came further clarity. The court ruled that PoP idols under 6 feet in height must be immersed only in artificial water tanks, while taller idols may go into natural water bodies. The court also directed the state government to ensure local bodies strictly implement these amended norms and to provide enough artificial tanks for immersions. Additionally, the state was told to form an Expert Scientific Committee within a month to explore ways to recycle and reuse PoP and examine eco-friendly methods for faster dissolution. These directions will remain in force for all immersion-based festivals till March 2026. Accordingly, the state government has issued comprehensive guidelines for the immersion of PoP idols. Even so, not everyone is mollified. Naresh Dahibavkar, president of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti, welcomes the relief but warns of uncertainty ahead. 'This is only an interim order,' he says. 'Next year, the issue will be back in court.' He wants a 'permanent solution' to the issue of immersion of large idols—installed by more than 3,000 Ganesh mandals in Mumbai alone. Environmentalist Harshad Dhage, a petitioner in the case, too notes the 'temporary' nature of the reprieve. Emphasising the need to strike a balance between faith and sustainability, he says, 'This is not a fight against festivals, but against pollution.'HUBBUB AT THE HUBFor decades, idol-making has been the lifeblood of Hamrapur and neighbouring villages like Kalave, Johe, Tambadshet and Dadar in Pen taluka of Raigad district. Anchored by Pen town, the region is the nucleus of Maharashtra's Ganesh idol industry and even got the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2023. Across the taluka, some 250,000 people are said to be employed in the Rs 200-crore industry, collectively shipping out millions of clay and PoP idols each year, not only in India but to diaspora communities as far afield as the United States. Mumbai alone hosts some 12,000 public Ganesh mandals and over 200,000 household idols—most of them made from PoP and sourced from this Ganesh worship in Maharashtra was a modest, private ritual, with small, hand-crafted idols made from local clay. But in the 1890s, nationalist leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak elevated the festival into a public spectacle—an instrument of anti-colonial solidarity. Pen's transformation into an idol-making hub gathered pace in the 1950s, propelled by its location between Mumbai and Pune, and the availability of clay. A crucial shift came when local sculptor N.G. 'Rajabhau' Deodhar experimented with PoP, initially to embellish decorative images with finer detailing. Cultural cues added fuel. In V. Shantaram's 1959 film Navrang, an imposing 11-foot Ganesh idol made of PoP commanded the screen and was later immersed ceremoniously, foreshadowing a trend toward ever-larger images of the deity in households and mandals. The material proved easy to mould, light to transport and ideal for mass production. By the 1980s, Pen housed more than 500 workshops crafting idols from both clay and PoP, according to Shrikant Deodhar, Rajabhau's nephew and a fourth-generation sculptor. In the 1990s, outlying villages, with their cheaper land and abundant labour, joined the fray. In Hamrapur, farmlands long eroded by saline ingress have given way to gleaming bungalows—quiet monuments to the prosperity the idol trade has brought. In this belt, artisans are organically initiated into the craft as January court order, however, had sent tremors through the region. Many workshops suspended work entirely. 'We lost three critical months,' says Jagdish Patil, president of the Shri Ganesh Murtikar Utkarsha Mandal, representing about 600 workshops in Hamrapur. 'We usually produce around a million idols every year. This time, it may drop to 800,000.' THE PoP VS CLAY DEBATEadvertisementThe economics is unforgiving. Most manufacturers take loans to buy raw materials. For, while wholesale buyers settle dues post-festival, vendors supplying PoP, paint and coir insist on advance payments. 'Customers are fewer this year. There's confusion and fear,' says Neeraj Naik, an idol-maker in Hamrapur. In a neighbouring workshop, sculptor Kunal Patil gestures at a half-finished idol. 'One person can make 10-15 PoP idols per shift. Clay? Maybe two or three,' he is a key factor—while the retail rates of clay and PoP idols vary widely depending on the market and locality, a one-and-a-half-foot tall clay idol typically costs around Rs 3,000, compared to Rs 2,000 for a similarly sized PoP idol at the lower end of the product line. Patil and others maintain that PoP idols are not just more durable and cost-effective but more aesthetically consistent. 'Clay idols are fragile—even a damp garland can cause them to flake, which many consider inauspicious,' says Mahendra Kamble, a distributor who supplies Hamrapur idols to Dombivli, an extended suburb of Mumbai. 'If I sell 1,000 idols, barely 150 are clay. This means people prefer PoP.'advertisementBut traditionalists and environmentalists contest that logic. 'PoP doesn't dissolve, and broken parts of these idols later wash up on the shore,' says Mumbai-based clay sculptor Vasant Raje. 'This is vitambana (sacrilege) of our religion.' Raje points to the iconic 20-foot clay 'Girgaoncha Raja', installed every year in Mumbai's Girgaon neighbourhood, as proof that size isn't a bone of contention, i.e. PoP, is made by heating gypsum to remove water, resulting in a powder that hardens when mixed with water. A 2023 study on the Tapi river, which runs through Maharashtra's northern edge, found a clear correlation between PoP idol immersion and degraded water quality. The paints often contain toxic metals like lead and cadmium. PoP itself may take months—or even years—to dissolve, raising water hardness and harming aquatic life. Wildlife biologist Anand Pendharkar notes that the material clogs the burrows of fish and crabs and damages mangrove roots. 'It has affected the breeding of Bombay duck, sponges and other marine organisms,' he says. The annual use of PoP across the state is about 4,500 tonnes, with Mumbai alone accounting for 675 tonnes, notes the 2023 study. Gradually, other states, like Goa, are banning the import and sale of PoP Ganesh doubts persist about how viable a large-scale pivot to clay would be. Today, just about 20 per cent of the idols made in Pen taluka are clay-based. The supply chain isn't ready. Nor is the workforce adequately trained, say those in the PoP idol industry. Some stakeholders call for a middle ground. 'The issue has to be seen from the prism of employment,' says Dhairyashil Patil, a Rajya Sabha MP of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and former MLA from Pen. 'Even chemical industries pollute. Yet, we don't call for them to be banned. We ask for them to be regulated.' For now, the idol-makers of Hamrapur and nearby villages sculpt on, tracing divine forms in drying plaster, uncertain what shape their future will to India Today Magazine- EndsTrending Reel
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Time of India
Elvish Yadav's home attacked: Three masked gunmen open fire at Big Boss OTT winner's Gurugram house
Caretaker Present, Yadav Absent During Attack Ongoing Controversies Surrounding Yadav Snake Venom Case and Forensic Findings Supreme Court's Intervention Career and Public Persona Officials confirmed that unidentified attackers opened fire at the Gurugram residence of YouTuber and Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner Elvish Yadav in the early hours of Sunday. As reported by India Today, the shooting took place between 5 am and 6 am, when three men on motorcycles allegedly fired multiple rounds before quickly fleeing the spot. Over two dozen bullets were discharged during the assault, according to initial sources, India Today stated that Yadav himself was not at home during the time of the attack. The only person inside the premises was the caretaker, who fortunately remained unharmed. Authorities added that, as of now, Yadav has not lodged an official complaint regarding the firing development comes at a time when Yadav has been embroiled in legal controversies. In November 2023, his name surfaced in connection with an alleged snake venom procurement case . According to police reports, investigators uncovered an illegal network during a raid at a banquet hall in Noida's Sector 51. Five individuals, including four snake charmers, were taken into custody for allegedly providing venom for parties and the raid, authorities confiscated nine snakes, among them cobras, as well as vials of venom. Forensic examinations confirmed traces of toxins from both cobra and krait species in the seized samples. The case gained momentum after a sting operation conducted by the NGO People For Animals, which played a central role in exposing the August 6, the Supreme Court issued a stay on lower court proceedings in the snake venom case involving Yadav. The order temporarily halted trial hearings while the matter undergoes further judicial 'Elvish' Yadav has built his reputation as a content creator and singer, achieving wide recognition after winning Bigg Boss OTT 2. He is also currently part of Colors TV's culinary entertainment program Laughter Chefs – Unlimited Entertainment 2, continuing to remain in the public eye despite ongoing controversies.
India Today
a day ago
- India Today
Vivek Agnihotri cries dictatorship as Kolkata blocks The Bengal Files trailer launch
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has sharply criticised the West Bengal authorities after the trailer launch of his upcoming film The Bengal Files faced major hurdles in Kolkata on August event, originally planned at a leading cinema hall, was abruptly cancelled by a prominent theatre chain, reportedly under 'political pressure.' It was later shifted to a hotel and finally unveiled at 1 pm on a video statement, Agnihotri said, 'They are obstructing the screening, and I don't know why. There is no reason for it. First, they cancelled the event at the theatre, and now they are not allowing it here either. The hotel authorities told me they had been instructed not to host the launch.' He added, 'I have just been informed that all the wires have been cut. Who is giving these instructions, and why, I don't know. Multiple FIRs have already been filed against us. This is a private hotel — how can they stop us here when we have the necessary permission? If this is not dictatorship, then what is? If this is not fascism, then what is? Look at the number of policemen present, as if we are criminals.'Watch the video here: Meanwhile, a senior Kolkata Police official told India Today, 'Obtaining an amusement licence is mandatory for hosting this kind of screening event. However, the organisers had not secured the required licence from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, nor did they inform the local police in advance. We learnt about the event through other sources. When asked, the organisers were unable to produce the necessary licence, so we had to intervene.'Despite the disruption, the trailer was eventually launched at the hotel. Sharing it online, Agnihotri wrote, 'If Kashmir hurt you, Bengal will haunt you (sic).' The trailer features hard-hitting lines such as, 'Yeh Paschim Bangal hai, yaha do constitution chalta hai, ek Hinduao ka, ek Musalmanon ka,' and 'Sirf zameen ka tukda nahi, Bharat ka lighthouse hai Bangal.''The Bengal Files' revisits West Bengal's turbulent political history, exploring the Hindu genocide and communal violence through real testimonies and historical accounts. It examines the events of Direct Action Day and sheds light on decades of ideological manipulation and systemic the trailer here: This is not the first time Agnihotri has faced obstacles for the film. On Independence Day, he learnt that the trailer launch had been cancelled by the theatre chain. Expressing disappointment in another video, he remarked, 'We had all the permissions in writing. Our entire team came to Kolkata, but now we learn the event has been cancelled. This is very sad. Is there one Constitution for India and another for West Bengal?'advertisementHe further alleged attempts to 'suppress' his voice but vowed not to be silenced. 'Who wants to suppress our voice? And why? But I can't be silenced. Because truth can't be silenced. Trailer will be launched in Kolkata,' he the clip here: Ahead of the launch, Agnihotri visited Kalighat Temple to seek blessings for the project. 'With Maa's blessings, no one can stop this film,' he said. The film stars National Award-winner Pallavi Joshi, Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, and Darshan Kumaar in key by Agnihotri and produced by Abhishek Agarwal and Pallavi Joshi, 'The Bengal Files' is slated for release on September 5, 2025.- EndsMust Watch
