Nagaland: ‘Pure Veg Delights’ draws heavy footfall at Kisama

The Pure Vegetarian Delights stall at the Hornbill Festival has emerged as one of the busiest food counters at Kisama, with demand rising sharply since the opening day.
Speaking to Nagaland Post, Managing Director of the State Institute of Hotel Management (SIHM), Dimapur, Deepak Srivastava, said the stall was set up on the request of the Department of Tourism to address the festival’s need for high-quality vegetarian cuisine.
Srivastava informed that the Institute operates in a Public–Private Partnership mode with the Department of Tourism, and was invited to showcase its expertise in North Indian vegetarian dishes as a complement to the predominantly non-vegetarian Naga food served across the festival grounds. He said the Institute brought in three specialist cooks from Rajasthan specifically for the Hornbill Festival to prepare authentic North Indian vegetarian meals.
According to him, the response on the first day was “chock-a-block,” with the entire stock being sold out within the first few hours. He said the high demand had prompted the Institute to expand and reinforce its menu.
“The guests are liking the taste, and more importantly, the requirement for vegetarian cuisine in the Hornbill Festival is being met by our institute,” he stated, adding that both the department and the Institute were satisfied with the outcome. He described the arrangement as a “win-win” situation, noting that pricing had been kept at an affordable, value-for-money range.
Srivastava revealed that the stall sales in half a day on the opening day was very encouraging, highlighting the strong market for vegetarian food at the festival.
Explaining the menu structure, he said the stall operated in three meal periods—breakfast, lunch, and evening snacks.
For breakfast, samosa, kachori, jalebi and tea were the top sellers.
During lunch, chole chawal, rajma chawal, paneer chawal and chole bhature were the standout items.
In the evening, the most popular snacks included momos, French fries, and vegetable rolls.
He also said all fresh vegetables used at the stall, including tomatoes, potatoes, beans and onions, were sourced locally from Kohima. The demand for biryani was particularly high, with the dish reportedly selling out within half an hour.
Srivastava emphasised that the Hornbill Festival offered valuable real-time learning opportunities for SIHM students. He noted that while the Institute had practical labs, classroom learning could not replicate the immediacy of serving a live crowd.
He said students were learning critical skills such as time management, speed of service, order tracking, and guest satisfaction. In a festival environment, he explained, students had to respond instantly to customer demands, which helped them understand the urgency and pressure associated with professional hospitality service. He pointed out that many items being prepared—such as kachori and certain North Indian dishes—were not part of the Institute’s regular curriculum, making it an additional learning experience. The students were also receiving daily allowances, he said, adding that they were given short breaks to explore the festival and buy food. “They do not get much time to go out, but we make sure they have at least half an hour to take a break,” he said.
Regarding footfall, Srivastava said the turnout looked encouraging, with tourists arriving from across India. He added that the coming weekend was expected to draw even larger crowds, including visitors from neighbouring states such as Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.
He further noted that out of around 500 visitors on the first day, nearly 200 were local Naga customers, many of whom expressed appreciation for the quality, pricing and variety offered. According to him, several visitors had urged the Institute to return every year, saying that the availability of vegetarian cuisine provided a refreshing alternative for those accustomed to eating non-vegetarian food daily.
Srivastava said the positive response from both locals and tourists had encouraged the Institute to further strengthen its offerings and continue promoting vegetarian cuisine in the festival in the days ahead.