Shegaon

Cat been to Shegaon recently. It is located around 300 km west from Nagpur - Maharashtra. Shegaon has traditionally been a big market for cotton; cotton from ginning / pressing mills was transported to textile mills. It has colleges offering degree in the area of Commerce and Arts; there is Industrial Training Institute and also an engineering college - Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj College of Engineering. Well, it also has a touris attraction "Anand Sagar".

In Cat's opinion Shegaon is more popular as a pilgrimage destination as it is believed that Shri Sant Gajanan Maharaj lived here.
Cat has visited the Gajanan Maharaj Sansthan (Institution) Temple and Anand Sagar. During course of these visits Cat managed to taste food from various stalls on the roadside...

For foodies - Shegaon is well known for "Shegaon Kachori". You will find a large number of outlets that boast to be the 'Shegaon Kachori Pioneers' or 'Original / Famous Shegaon Kachori' ..... Cat is not sure about who the real pioneer is - however, from old days there is a shop below Shegaon railway Station Bridge ... in Cat's opinion that Kachori is far better than other vendors.

But .... apart from Kachori Cat found many wonderful and tasty varieties at Shegaon, like - Sabudana Khichadi (also termed as Sabudana Usal here), Bhel and other fast food and tea joints.

Khichadi @ Vaibhav

When you are near the main entrance of the femous Gajanan Maharaj Temple at Shegaon, just look at your left hand side. Along with many hotels, kachori shops you will see a board - "Vaibhav Lodging Bhojanalay and Udipi Restaurant."

The appearances, cleanliness may not appeal some of you who expect a clean treatment at food stall. But the first spoon of Sabudana Khichadi will take you in the different world - and be certain about it.

The awesome Sabudana (Tapioca) Khadi where every dish is freshly cooked, with abundant shengdana koot (crushed peanut).

The Khichadi is served with fresh Dahi and Kothimbir (Coriander).

For Pav Bhaji lovers, do not miss the Sai Darshan Pav Bhaji just outside Hotel Vaibhav.

You will have a good treat for your taste buds...

 

You should not leave Shegaon without having Bhel on your last day. This is a unique bhel with 'Vidharbha flavor". This bhel has bhadang (masala kurmura - (otherwise bhel has white Kurmura) ), two to three variety of chivada, boiled peanuts, different salad veggies like - capsicum, beetroot, carrot... finely chopped, ... and the wonder comes towards the end when they serve it by asking 'tez banaau?' ... if you say yes - it is topped with a special 'red' chutney and finally "sping onion dressing".

Oh Man! ... its just amazing.... I never thought that a bhel without usual nylon sev and with salad dressing would taste such great!

 

A holy place with such a great variety of food ... In cat's opinion it is a foodie paradise. There are more such options to try out - variety of pakoda, special misal (with poha and boiled sprouts with masala), pure milk tea.

CAT observed that tea vendors here do keep a 'package' - manjan-tea-biscuit or manjan-tea-small breakfast.... it is a great discovery out of the needs of pilgrims who reach early morning for darshan and want to catch a train back home after that.

Cat strolled at midnight, late-night and early morning and found that there was at least one shop open to ensure that the person reaching this place should be well served to get fresh, to have tea and to have at least a quick breakfast. Cat admires the hardwork and commitment of local vendors and suporters who make all this happen.

Cat feels that Shegaon is a Foodie paradise as well .... more cleanliness will bring the "wow" factor.

Jai Gajanan!

Enjoy food -

Miyaaon.