Stately spread

The future of our country continues to be shaped over these meals at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, write Bae & Monika Mandal

From the ceremonial grandeur that filled the halls to the brilliant subtlety of a red rose next to a plate on the banquet table, this banquet was full of pomp and circumstance — the first of its kind for our constitutional republic.

It was January 24, 1950. Our Constitution was signed, and in two days India would officially be a new republic governed by its people. At sunset, cars lined up in front of the palace of the Governor-General — the palace which soon would be the residence of the president of India. The guests entered the reception area and passed through the corridors lined with guards dressed in their full regalia. A few stair steps and a gallery to reach the reception hall where the momentous occasion would be celebrated.

President Achmad Sukarno of Indonesia and his wife were the guests-of-honour for our first Republic Day celebrations. They were joined by Prime Minister Nehru, Governor-General Rajagopalachari, and other heads of state as they dined on a menu that was both Indian and Anglicised-French. Amongst others, Indrani Jagjivan Ram accompanied her husband — the first labour minister in PM Nehru’s Cabinet to the dinner. Her autobiography, Milestones: A Memoir, gives us a first-person account and glimpse into the ceremony and the sumptuous meal shared by the attendees. Indrani was seated next to Panditji and was unaware of the customs as this was her first state dinner. She was uncertain if her food preferences would be taken care of, but Panditji assured her by saying, “The flower next to your plate indicates that you are a vegetarian.” A red rose next to a diner’s plate was a visual cue to the butlers. The first course, cream of spinach soup, was served. This was followed by fillet de pomfret frit or fried fish with sauce tartare, and for the vegetarians, pomme croquettes, an Anglo-Indian vegetable cutlet dish. The main course of caneton a la diable, peas with cauliflower and roast potatoes must have been the French equivalent of meat with three vegetables. This duck dish named a la diable, which translates into “the devil” must have signified the spiciness of the French mustard and cayenne sauce. Vegetarians that night enjoyed a main course of aloo dum, cauliflower curry, raita, papad, and chutney. Champagne toasts were switched with toasts of juices, sherbet, and traditional drinks in keeping with the Indian sentiments and traditions. And just as the meal began for everyone with the same soup, it ended with the same dessert of pommes chantilly or stewed apples and cream. The banquet hall at the Rashtrapati Bhavan has hosted gatherings and state dinners for leaders and dignitaries from around the world since the 1930s. The future of our country continues to be shaped over these meals.