Kolkata’s Dhamsa tribal restaurant offers delicious indigenous food and rural charm

Lockdown, Covid and epidemics have restricted people's lives. Since last year, people have been desperately craving a break, away from their mundane lives. Where does one go? Here is a place where you can enjoy rural environment, one can spend time eating and drinking in the midst of greenery. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

This is the 'Dhamsha Tribal Kitchen' at Eco Park in Kolkata. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

This new indigenous restaurant has been built next to 'Banglar Gram' in Kolkata's Eco Park. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

A little further along gate number 6 of Newtown Eco Park is a small village where you will find mud houses, paddy fields and bullock carts. Next to it, the restaurant has been built in the style of Dhamsa. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

This initiative is to connect the indigenous people with the urban people. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

This restaurant serves a variety of tribal delicacies. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

There are more than 450+ tribes in India and most of them are in Bengal. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

Debashis Sen, chairman of HIDCO, said, “Many urban youths today have never seen a village, they know very little about how paddy is sown or how mustard flowers look." (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

He further added, “For this, a few years ago, this 'Banglar Gram' model was created to give visitors the feeling of a Bengali village. People also wanted to enjoy local foods. That's why we started this restaurant." (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

In a big metro city like Kolkata, it is very difficult to find indigenous food. How much do we actually know about the indigenous people of India! (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

Here, you will relish the flavours of indigenous food. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

With a height of 22 feet and a radius of 35 feet, this restaurant looks like a Santhali drum when viewed from above. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

Inside the restaurant, there are mat-painted designs all over the air-conditioned walls. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

Here is a glimpse of the wooden chair table you get to sit on at the restaurant. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

First, there is Sarbat in a Kansha glass (bronze glass). (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

Here you will find five types of dishes. In the 'Pakhi pahar' thali of Ayodhya hill in Purulia, you get black rice and black rice pies. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

Barisal thali will cost 181 rupees. This includes white rice, dried mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes, roasted fish, kachu lati, and chicken. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

In the afternoon, you can enjoy the pleasant weather outside and folk music with brinjal chop, onion chop, or chicken cutlet with puffed rice. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)

All in all, this restaurant will refresh you a lot during this difficult time. (Express Photo: Shashi Ghosh)