Varanasi: The three-day 56th annual convention of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), titled ‘Anant Kashi’, was inaugurated in Varanasi on Friday, bringing together hospitality and tourism industry leaders from India and abroad.Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana, Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Ambassador of Laos to India Vithaya Xayavong, Goa Tourism Minister Rohan A Khaunte, UP minister of state for stamp and registration Ravindra Jaiswal, Maharaja of Mewar Lakshyaraj Singh and FHRAI president Surendra Kumar Jaiswal were among those present.Addressing the gathering, Mahana said hospitality was deeply rooted in Indian culture and cited the tradition of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’. He said Kashi had undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years and had emerged as a global tourism destination.Laos ambassador Vithaya Xayavong said Buddhism served as an important link between India and Laos, with Varanasi playing a significant role. He said stronger bilateral relations had contributed to tourism and invited Indians to visit Laos.Odisha deputy chief minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo said Kashi was not merely a tourist destination but a place where spiritual energy could be experienced. He said Odisha wanted to strengthen tourism ties between Puri and Kashi, describing the connection between the two spiritual centres as significant.Goa tourism minister Rohan A Khaunte said Kashi and Goa were among India’s prominent tourism destinations and shared a special bond. He said Goa, also known as ‘Dakshin Kashi’, was seeking to promote religious tourism between the two destinations.UP minister of state for stamp and registration Ravindra Jaiswal said the tourism and hospitality sectors had contributed significantly to India’s economic growth.Maharaja of Mewar Lakshyaraj Singh said Kashi had emerged as a global tourism hub and that India’s cultural values would play an important role in the country’s future. European Hotel Association representative Dimitris Manikis said India’s hospitality was unique and praised the country’s ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ tradition.The event also featured the FHRAI Bharat Gaurav Awards, which recognised 15 eminent personalities associated with the music, art and culture of Kashi. The awardees included Bharat Ratna recipients Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Bismillah Khan, Munshi Premchand, Pandit Kishan Maharaj, Girija Devi, Pandit Chhannulal Mishra, Pandit Devi Prasad Dwivedi, Harihar Kripalu Tripathi, Pandit Shivnath Mishra, Rajeshwar Acharya, Rajnikant, Chandrashekhar Singh, Mangala Kapoor, Pandit Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid and Nagendra Pandey.More than 1,400 delegates from India and abroad attended the convention and witnessed performances showcasing the musical heritage of the Banaras gharana. Sitar maestro Pandit Devbrat Mishra performed ‘Padharo Mhare Des’, while the cultural programme also featured a Kathak performance by Rudra Shankar Mishra and a shehnai recital by Ustad Rizwan Haider.
