Ranchi: Jharkhand tourism director Naman Priyesh Lakra on Thursday flagged off a culinary expedition to Chengjora heritage village in Ghatshila of East Singhbhum district as part of the three-day Jharkhand Tourism Conclave and Culinary Expedition 2026, aimed at promoting the state’s tourism potential through its indigenous food traditions, tribal heritage, and natural attractions.Organised by the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Ranchi, the conclave is being held from Sept 24 under the theme, ‘Destination Jharkhand: From Hidden Gem to Global Attraction’.Lakra said, “Such initiatives would help bring wider recognition to Jharkhand’s indigenous cuisines and traditional knowledge systems while ensuring tourism benefits reach local communities.” Kumar added that the conclave would also facilitate discussions on tourism infrastructure, branding, adventure tourism and culinary tourism to strengthen Jharkhand’s position as a unique travel destination.Delegates will visit Chengjora Heritage Village in Ghatshila to experience the food traditions of the Santhal and Ho communities. The programme includes village walks, live cooking demonstrations, food tasting sessions and cultural performances. Participants will also learn about the use of local grains, forest produce, wild fruits, traditional vegetables and food preservation methods.The team will later visit Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary and surrounding areas to explore medicinal and seasonal food plants, followed by a culinary tourism programme at Dassam Falls.The flag-off ceremony was attended by JTDC managing director Prem Ranjan, tourism department deputy director Rajiv Kumar, hospitality industry representatives and IHM Ranchi principal Bhupesh Kumar.
