Michelin-star chef Vikas Khanna, gave a sneak peek into his newest venture – the Museum of Culinary Arts, in Manipal. Displayed in the video shared by the multi-talented chef from India’s first Living Culinary Arts Museum, were beautiful collections of vintage utensils from late 19th century India. The museum, that showcases a wide array of traditional cookware, with some belonging to royal lineage, was a 15-year project in the making for Khanna.
Vikas, who inaugurated the museum, alongside his mother and authorities from his alma mater, Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA) in Manipal, profusely thanked WGSHA Associate Professor, Dr. Chef K. Thirugnanasambantham for guiding and mentoring him. In a video shared by the chef to his official Twitter account, a guide exhibited a Russian doll-esque kitchen contraption that was used in the ancient days.
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The grand museum also holds tools that were used on hunting trips or picnics in the olden days. “Almost 15 years of devotion & kitchen tools worth billion hearts are on display at our in @WManipal. This is one of a kind 38-pieces of art. A whole kitchen is packed precisely inside a brass container. It is believed to be from late 19th century; formerly owned by some palace and was used during picnics or hunting trips. The brilliance of Indian arts & mathematics. As a proud WGSHA-ite I am honored for being a small part of our institute. Thank you Chef Thiru for being my guide & mentor,” he captioned the shared video.
Image Credits: Chef Vikas Khanna/FB
This museum is one of the newest endeavours taken on by Khanna, in an effort to preserve ancient culinary traditions as well as be a mode of educating the newer generations about our heritage. Some of the exhibits at the museum include a cooking pot that resembles a piece excavated at a Harappan site, intricately carved and designed kitchen accessories for festive occasions, engraved drinking and cooking vessels made of brass and plated with nickel. Others include a handful of iconic tiffin carriers, carved teapots with calligraphy and floral designs, oil containers and bamboo utensils.
The museum was also featured in the Limca Book of Records for being a one-of-a-kind museum in India where Khanna also managed to procure a 600-year old oil extractor from Rajasthan. He has also released a catalogue of the museum’s exhibits, titled Patra — Heritage of the Indian Kitchen, filled with additional details about the utensils.