October 2 is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti to commemorate the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation. It is a public holiday in India. While people remember everything Mahatma Gandhi did for the nation and how he inspired several people to fight for their rights with non-violence, foodies in Delhi associate this day with International Chhole Bhature Day.
It might seem bizarre to you but not to a gastronome who starts salivating at the sight of chohle bhature, even on food delivery applications. This is just another excuse for a fan of this Punjabi dish to relish and celebrate it.
How Did October 2 Become International Chhole Bhature Day?
The credit for International Chhole Bhature Day (an entire day dedicated to Punjab’s most popular delicacy) goes to Shashank Aggarwal from Delhi. Reportedly, he decided that his favourite dish deserves a grand celebration much like how the world celebrates chocolate, pasta, pizza, and even various spirits.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, he said, “Delhi is famous for its chhole bhature, koi bhi kahi se bhi aaye, chhole bhature jarur kha ke jaata hai. So I thought of dedicating a day to this dish. This October we are celebrating the fourth year of International Chhole Bhature Day.”
His quote portrays his love for chhole bhature. Well, who doesn’t cherish spicy chickpea curry served with a bite-sized flavourful potato, oval or spherical hot maid-semolina bhature, mixed pickle, and onion-green chillies on the side?
It All Started With Facebook
Aggarwal started a Facebook page to connect with foodies who cherish chhole bhature much like he does. He added, “I started several blogs and threads and wrote to many Facebook food communities to spread the word about Chhole Bhature Day. The love for food has brought together about 1 lakh people on these social networking platforms and every year, they share pictures of themselves gorging on the dish. No matter where they are, they click pictures eating chhole bhature and share with other foodies.”
One would think that the Punjabi dish only has admirers in India, but in 2023, gastronomes from New Zealand, Los Angeles, Sweden, and Singapore posted pictures of savouring the dish on social media. Since Gandhi Jayanti is a holiday in India, and people eat on holidays, therefore, October 2 became International Chhole Bhature Day.