CELEBRATIONS -- 11:

NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS AT TAJ SAVOY OOTY

BY P S SUNDAR

The celebrations to usher in 2016 in the Nilgiris bore a pail of gloom in the backdrop of hotels in Chennai announcing cancellation of gaiety following the devastating floods in November and December 2015.

Taj group of hotels confined their celebrations towards engaging their in-house guests.   “My husband, son and daughter are coming to the Nilgiris for the first time and we decided to be here for the New Year – yes, for the first time in our life.  When we booked for our stay at Taj Savoy Ooty, we did not know what was in store for our New Year celebrations.   It was a pleasant surprise that we were invited to join the hotel’s presentation for the night.   We enjoyed the get-together and the connected events.  We had a memorable experience at Taj Savoy to usher in 2016.  We fully understand the situation arising from flood devastation in Tami Nadu”, Vijayashree Venkatraman, coming from Texas, USA, told me.

FROM TEXAS, USA JUST FOR USHERING IN 2016 AT TAJ SAVOY OOTY

 (l-r) Eshwar, Chinmayi, Vijayashree & Venkatraman 

Her daughter Chinmayi Kamakotika (who has recently gradated) and son Eshwar Swaminathan (studying for engineering) were seen dancing with Indian and foreign guests with their parents encouraging them to enjoy!

This was the case with most guests as their wards, including little children, enjoying dancing.  And, there was a special musical chair contest which children enjoyed to the core.

“We confined our get-together to in-house guests and regular visitors.  We gave prizes to guests for free stay in foreign and non-Chennai destinations as well”, P Vibhakar, General Manager, Taj Savoy, said.

The dinner itself was a wide-spread.  “We have displayed the list of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes in our buffet at the entrance to the dining hall.  We have taken care to have a good spread of salads as well to balance the healthy components while ushering in the New Year”, Executive Chef Nisi Kant Panigrahi said.  

 

And, the hotel had arranged for big display of clock for the countdown and when the hands of the clock aligned to mark the birth of 2016 at midnight, it was an air of greetings everywhere, everyone wishing every other person and all hoping that 2016 will be a year of peace, progress, prosperity and pristine health – physical, mental and economic and ecological..

(response can also be sent to : pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com) 

BEVERAGE -- 4:

READING ABOUT TEA AS WE DRINK TEA

BY P S SUNDAR

‘Global Tea Digest 2015’, (GTD), the storehouse of statistical data on tea acreage, production, yield, prices, exports, import and domestic consumption relating to tea industry around the world, has come out.

“The data compiled in GTD are of great use to tea industry and trade for decision making.   They reflect the economic situation obtaining in current tea market with rising prices and consumption trends.  These data post a bright outlook for 2016”, Tea Board Executive Director C Paulrasu told me after releasing GTD on Dec 22, 2015.

“There is high demand from exporters for GTD as these data help on deciding their intake from India”, L C Singhania, Chairman, Coonoor Tea Trade Association, who received the first copy, said. 

“This is our fifth annual edition.   It contains 60 classified tables, 120 detailed tables and colourful graphs spread to 160 pages”, Rajesh Gupta, GTD compiler, noted. 

“The data relate to black tea, green tea and instant tea around the globe”, N Sriram, President, Global Tea Brokers (GTB), said.

“Details of tea grades, tea tasting terminology and glossary are also included in GTD”, GTB General Manager Senthil Kumar said. 

“The GTD is distributed free-of-cost as our dedication to tea industry and trade”, GTB Executive Hariprasath added.

Besides the widespread statistical data on tea industry and trade, some facts about tea listed in the GTD are as fascinating as the very beverage.

For instance, do you know that In Myanmar, people eat, not just drink, tea?

“Fermented or pickled tea is a national delicacy of Myanmar.  It is eaten as Tea Leaf Salad”, records Tea Glossary section of GTD.

“We have recorded many less-known facts about tea production and drinking round the world”, GTD Compiler Rajesh Gupta told me.

Chinese green tea from Zheijiang province is rolled into small pellet-size ball and dried.  So, it is called ‘Gunpowder’.  This tea’s colour is also like gunpowder. 

The 7^th Duchess of Bedford gave birth to ‘afternoon tea’ drinking practice in the 19^th century as she drank tea to stave off hunger pangs between lunch and dinner.  Finger sandwiches, cakes or pasties accompanied the ‘afternoon tea’.

Chinese and Japanese tea mixed with stalk and dust and moulded into bricks under high-pressure were carried by Asian travellers to drink tea on their way and it was called ‘brick tea’.  

‘Handkerchief tea’ got its name from large silk handkerchiefs which Chinese tea growers used to collect their very tippy tea.

‘Chunmee tea’ is Chinese green tea resembling the shape of human eyebrow.

Tea transported on camel from China to Russia in the past was called ‘Caravan Tea’.

In Tibet, ‘Butter tea’ is boiled tea mixed with salt and soda, strained into an urn containing butter and dried barley and churned.  It is served is a basin with lumps of butter.

Collectively, GTD is an asset to tea industry, trade, consumers and academicians / researchers. 

(response can also be sent to : pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

FOOD -- 3::

NOW, NORTH INDIAN VEGETARIANS HAVE EXCLUSIVE FACILITY IN OOTY

 BY P S SUNDAR

In the context of North Indian tourists visiting the Nilgiris in large numbers not only during summer but throughout the year, hoteliers are focussing on specialised North Indian meals.

“The latest happening this summer is dedicating exclusive vegetarian North Indian restaurant facility to relevant tourists”, Rohit Jain, President, Ooty Citizens’ Forum, told  me.

Nitesh (left) & Rohit

“North Indian tourists account for nearly half the over 15 lakh domestic visitors to Nilgiris annually.   Many of them suffer for want of exclusive North Indian vegetarian food.   Instances of self-cooking and carrying packed dry food by such visitors surface underlying the need to create eateries to cater to them”, he noted.

"in this context, Pakwan Restaurant centrally located in Commercial Road is a welcome addition for quality North Indian vegetarian cuisine from 12 noon to 3 pm and 7 to 10.30 pm", Rohit said. 

“After year-long survey of tourists’ requirements, we have launched for this summer North Indian vegetarian Thali in our exclusive North Indian vegetarian restaurant”, disclosed Nitesh Jain, Managing Partner, Pakwan Restaurant, Ooty.

“Priced ` 199, the Pakwan Thali is unlimited with over 10 cuisines to complement varieties of roti/Naan/Kulcha.  There is ala carta service as well with Jain food variant for each”, said General Manager Ranu Das. 

“Tourists also enjoy our vegetarian  kabas, Mughlai, Lucknow and Punjabi delicacies.  We also give a touch of Italian and Chinese vegetarian cuisine”, Chef Ganesh Prasad noted. 

His signature dish is Potli Biriyani, vegetables deep fried but covered with Roomali to give a totally different look and taste.

We enjoyed Fatuse Salad comprising bread, lettuce, capsicum bathed in vinegar, vegetbale-laced Longe Fong soup, Roomali Chaa, Aloo soyabean ki tikki, corn capsicum masala, paneer bhurji, dal Maharani, veg Pujlao, curd rice and semiya kheerbesides roti, Naan and pappad. 

"We change the Thali menu every day to afford variety to  guests.  We are also on the expansion mode.. this June, we intend opening our restaurant in Royapettah, Chennai.. Our next restaurant is in Bangalore", Nitesh Jain said. 

BEVERAGE -- 2 ::

VALUE ADDITION WITH TEA

(ARTICLE IN CONTEMPORARY TEA TIME JAN-MAR 2015)

BY P S SUNDAR

HAPPENING -- 2 ::

TAJ SCHOLAR AWARDS PRESENTED

BY P S SUNDAR

Among the welfare measures the Taj group adopts is the 'Learn At Taj' facility for the wards of associates.   It is a twin project -- honouring the children with their parents on the stage during the Annual Day marking the Year of Associates as also providing free education to the meritorious kids.   

Three bands are identified to entitle children benefit on level-playing ground :: 

1. Senior Taj Scholar (Std VII - X) 

2. Middle School Taj Scholar (Std V and VI)

3. Junior Taj Scholar (Std 1 - IV).

There are well-defined rules to select the topper among the eligible contestants in each category. 

This year, The Gateway Hotel Coonoor had the pleasant task of bestowing an additional honour on a girl student. K Nivetha, daughter of N Kumar of Material Department, had done the Nilgiris district, her school (St Mary's Girls' Higher Secondary School, Coonoor) and the hotel proud by bagging Third Place in Tenth standard Public Exam in the Nilgiris district in the year just gone-by.  Scoring 491 marks out of 500 (yes, just 9 marks short of the total!!), she has scripted a new history for the Taj Scholar Award at Gateway Coonoor.   And, the hotel responded by honouring her at the Annual Get-together of the families of employees on Feb 24, 2015.

Prakash Nair, General Manager (Learning and Development), Taj Group, Kochi, presented ‘Taj Scholar 2014-15’ awards to her.  

"Besides this, we also crowned her,  ‘Taj Senior Scholar’ ”, Gateway General Manager R Muralidharan told me.

“R Dharshan and R Harini, both from Stanes Anglo-Indian HS School, Coonoor, and children of Chef Ramalingam, became ‘Taj Middle’ and ‘Taj Junior’ Merit Scholars”, Muralidharan said.

“Their education is practically free as Taj will pay for their school fee, uniforms and books”, Antony Gerald, Human Resource Manager of Taj group of Hotels, Nilgiris, announced. 

HOTEL - 4::

GATEWAY ASSOCIATES' GREAT WAY FOR FAMILY GET-TOGETHER

BY P S SUNDAR

A striking feature of the annual family get-together marking the ‘Year of Associates’ at The Gateway Hotel Coonoor is that the senior-most staff in the roll is made the ‘Chief Guest’.   Of course, such previous Chief Guests are not counted to decide on the staff enjoying the honour in the year.   I understand that this practice introduced by the then General Manager R Pashupathy (now retired) is working well with the employees, professionally called, Associates.   Other important dignitaries are called ‘Guests of Honour’.

“We arrange to pick up our Chief Guest and his/her family members, give them a warm reception with garland and welcome drink of ‘Coonoor delight’ , check them into a room and explain to the family members the facilities and amenities available to the room guests.  We also encourage them to make room orders with in-house catering department.   This gives the entire family members a feel to appreciate the services rendered by the ‘chief guest’ in the hotel every day”, D Antony Gerald, Human Resources Manager, Taj group of hotels, Nilgiris, told me.

CHIEF GUEST D RAVI

Soon after the lady associates lit the traditional lamp to mark the opening of the annual meet followed by a welcome dance, I noticed D Ravi of Engineering department, who was the Chief Guest at the 24^th Gateway Family Get-together on Feb 24, 2015, enjoying the limelight with his family members.  On the stage where he was honoured, he expressed his gratitude to the management for this privilege.

CHIEF GUEST D RAVI

PRAKASH K NAIR

P VIBHAKAR

As in the past few years, I was the only non-Taj ‘Guest of Honour’ as the other four were General Managers – Prakash K Nair (Learning and Development – Kerala, based in Cochin), P Vibhakar (Taj Savoy Hotel, Ooty), B C Kumar (Vivanta by Taj – Surya, Coimbatore) and R Muralidharan (The Gateway Hotel Coonoor).   All of them felicitated the employees and families on the occasion.

B C KUMAR

R MURALIDHARAN

In my key-note address, I used the occasion to drive home the message that the entire family has to support the employee concerned for growing together.  “Just as Mumbiakars regard Taj Mahal hotel there as an icon of the city, so do Coonoor residents regard Gateway – they enjoy telling their guests that there is Taj Gateway Hotel in their town although many would not get an opportunity to enter the campus.   If others are so proud of Gateway, the employees should be doubly proud.  And, what makes Gateway a special hotel for the guests is not just the expanse campus, parking lot, lawn, heritage building or, wellness centre but more importantly, the service rendered by the smiling staff members”, I said.

“This hotel has been posting consistent growth in almost all parameters – business, profit, guest and employee satisfaction etc.  That is because of the  service rendered by the staff at all levels.   In reciprocation of this, the employees get salary, status in society as Taj employee and welfare measures.  And, when they sacrifice their domestic chores to fulfil their professional commitments, the family steps in to shoulder their personal responsibility.   So, collectively, there is ‘Group Action for Tourism, Environment, Welfare, Active Food and Yeomen service’ which abbreviates into GATEWAY”,  I explained, much to the appreciation of the family members.  

General Managers, Prakash K Nair, Vibhakar and Kumar besides me presented prizes to winners in various competitions that had been held for the staff.

The associates and their family members staged a variety of programmes which entertained the audience.  Mementos were given to them.  

 

“We thoroughly enjoyed this evening.   It helped us get an idea on the local culture”, Hans Cizik and his wife Edith from Vienna told me.  Besides cheering, clapping hands and applauding loudly, this couple took many photos.  “We are impressed with this commitment. We will help to bring more European tourists”, they told me.

Muralidharan, who gave details of revenue to show the progress Gateway Coonoor has made, honoured five associates who had put in over 300 days of work last year -- Sathish (320 days), Martin (312), Logesh (310), Vijay (304) and Peter (302).   “This meant that out of 365 days, these men remained in the hotel for over 300 days.  We are very proud of them because they are the pillars and backbone helping this hotel achieve whatever I hailed now”, Murali said.

Murali also presented ‘long service award’ to N Kumar (15 years), Pandurangan (15 years) and R Nagaraj (20 years).

N KUMAR

R PANDURANGAN

R NAGARAJ

The overall championship for women was awarded to Malathi and men to Paulraj.

The family members were treated to a sumptuous dinner after National Anthem was sung but before that, Antony Gerald honoured the team and Master of Ceremonies that worked to put this show in order – Logesh, Martin, Suresh, Sathish Kumar, Sathish, Paul Raj, Prasad and Dharmaraj.  

SOME MEMBERS OF THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE