A new Kashmir in town: Jaipur's first Kashmir themed restaurant!

Suman Raina, a Kashmiri Pandit, starts a Houseboat themed Kashmiri restaurant, Zarpar in the heart of Pink city, Jaipur.

Published on:

21 Jan 2022, 12:00 am

3 min read

This weekend, explore a Houseboat themed Kashmiri restaurant, Zarpar in the heart of Pink city, Jaipur. Sounds fun, right? Well, it is exciting to visit a place that has been themed on one of the greatest cultures of India. Suman Raina, 45, a Kashmiri pandit, with an aim to promote her own culture in a different city, started working on this restaurant in May 2017. The idea of celebrating your own culture and tradition and making Kashmiris living outside Kashmir aware of their own culture forced Suman to start Zarpar.

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[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Fcontent%2F2022%2FJan%2FImage-6_61e3af961e1c8.JPG%3Fw%3D725%26h%3D415&ho=https%3A%2F%2Fim.indiatimes.in&s=705&h=ae1d1cfd10412b723f469a6756f6add469b997228170aa08f4277881c095a564&size=980x&c=3341506135 photo_credit="" pin_description="" dam="0" site_id=20074994 caption="Dewan Khana in Zarpar" photo_credit_src="https://im.indiatimes.in/content/2022/Jan/Image-6_61e3af961e1c8.JPG?w=725&h=415" crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252Fcontent%252F2022%252FJan%252FImage-6_61e3af961e1c8.JPG%253Fw%253D725%2526h%253D415%26ho%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fim.indiatimes.in%26s%3D705%26h%3Dae1d1cfd10412b723f469a6756f6add469b997228170aa08f4277881c095a564%26size%3D980x%26c%3D3341506135%22%7D" expand=1] Dewan Khana in Zarpar

The restaurant is divided into two parts, Deewan Khan (Fine Dine area) which is decorated with plush Kashmiri carpets from Kashmir and Wooden chairs and tables with engraved intricate traditional designs; and Pari Mahal, a boat themed dining area separated by a bubbling waterfall. There’s also a raised platform with low tables for people who want to enjoy the traditional food in a traditional style. Zarpar caters to tastebuds of all the Kashmiris in the city and also foodies in town. It is not just a restaurant, it is a symbol of Kashmiri art forms, culture and architecture. It is a testimony of the great Kashmiri culture.

Feast of a lifetime

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Fimg%2Fkashmir%2Fwazwan.jpg&ho=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.navreh.com&s=546&h=b8f28b4ddf74aceb70a03ccc4d592eb62ea71d9b22587f9df1df61865c391dbc&size=980x&c=700915226 photo_credit="" pin_description="" dam="0" site_id=20074994 caption="Shahi Kashmiri Wazwan" photo_credit_src="http://www.navreh.com/img/kashmir/wazwan.jpg" crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252Fimg%252Fkashmir%252Fwazwan.jpg%26ho%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.navreh.com%26s%3D546%26h%3Db8f28b4ddf74aceb70a03ccc4d592eb62ea71d9b22587f9df1df61865c391dbc%26size%3D980x%26c%3D700915226%22%7D" expand=1] Shahi Kashmiri Wazwan

The restaurant serves its flagship delicacies that include Kashmiri Wazwan, a multi-course meal that is usually cooked at weddings or other festive occasions and Kashmiri harissa, traditional mutton curry served with Kashmiri bread known as Kashmiri Tchot. If you thought Kashmiri food is all about Non - Vegetarian food, then brace yourself for a mouth boggling surprise, Zarpar also offers vegetarian Kashmiri dishes such as Dum Aloo, Yakhni and Tchoki Wangan. Other than this, one can also opt for traditional Rajasthani cuisines or North Indian or even Chinese cuisines.

Constructing a glimpse of Kashmir

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2FMenuImages%2F8-85722-71537.jpg&ho=https%3A%2F%2Fd24l7ypac8dw56.cloudfront.net&s=255&h=dc3b4953d0239b1eec83a2d7b91af3a462ca2ee426211b63f4b093e0c96624c9&size=980x&c=1454484045 photo_credit="" pin_description="" dam="0" site_id=20074994 caption="Authentic Kashmiri cutlery and furnishing" photo_credit_src="https://d24l7ypac8dw56.cloudfront.net/MenuImages/8-85722-71537.jpg" crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252FMenuImages%252F8-85722-71537.jpg%26ho%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fd24l7ypac8dw56.cloudfront.net%26s%3D255%26h%3Ddc3b4953d0239b1eec83a2d7b91af3a462ca2ee426211b63f4b093e0c96624c9%26size%3D980x%26c%3D1454484045%22%7D" expand=1] Authentic Kashmiri cutlery and furnishing

A Kashmiri filmmaker and festival director, Mushtaaque Ali Ahmad Khan designed the Pari Mahal. More than fifty per cent of the material that included, drapery, cutlery and furnishing was bought from Kashmir itself and the rest was arranged from Rajasthan. Most of the artists were Rajasthanis and used their own artistic ability to replicate the Kashmiri art and culture to its fullest. And the result is here, after a greater response from customers and visitors, the idea of taking the restaurant pan India perfectly makes sense.

They have a selfie zone too... What?

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Fcontent%2F2022%2FJan%2FImage-4_61e3af670af8e.JPG%3Fw%3D725%26h%3D483&ho=https%3A%2F%2Fim.indiatimes.in&s=1002&h=34ddd36569ba7dd37e3f4574068688ee75d0a73fd6317e4f5d88acb1a2772932&size=980x&c=2244500666 photo_credit="" pin_description="" dam="0" site_id=20074994 caption="The selfie zone Tasveer and Zoona Dub" photo_credit_src="https://im.indiatimes.in/content/2022/Jan/Image-4_61e3af670af8e.JPG?w=725&h=483" crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252Fcontent%252F2022%252FJan%252FImage-4_61e3af670af8e.JPG%253Fw%253D725%2526h%253D483%26ho%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fim.indiatimes.in%26s%3D1002%26h%3D34ddd36569ba7dd37e3f4574068688ee75d0a73fd6317e4f5d88acb1a2772932%26size%3D980x%26c%3D2244500666%22%7D" expand=1] The selfie zone Tasveer and Zoona Dub

Yes, you heard it right, there is another segment in the restaurant, called 'Tasveer'. An area close to the waterfall where a bench is placed for the selfie lovers to click selfies in Kasmiri attire and jewellery. Other than this, there is another selfie area on the other side of the waterfall, a Kashmiri style balcony, commonly called 'Zoona Dub'. Now, hold your horses, because, this is not the end here, there is something else you'd like to know about this place, you can go shopping too, yes, there is a souvenir store too, from where you can buy some authentic Kashmiri artwork.

So, to sum up, Zarpar is a Kashmiri restaurant in Malviya Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, where one can eat authentic Kashmiri delicacies in Kashmiri Style, can click selfies in complete Kashmiri attire and go shopping.

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