Modi government claims credit for Lucknow’s Muslim culinary legacy

The northern Indian city of Lucknow, renowned for its Mughal-era architecture and centuries-old Nawabi cuisine, has been designated a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, joining 407 cities across more than 100 countries recognized for creative excellence in fields like gastronomy, design, and crafts.

UNESCO praised Lucknow’s culinary heritage — from the Galouti kebabs and dum pukht biryani to Makhan malai and chaat — as a reflection of “centuries-old traditions enriched by community, history, and art.” The designation celebrates South Asia’s Islamic culinary traditions, shaped by the royal kitchens of the Awadhi nawabs, Caliber.Az reports via Muslim Network. 

Yet the global recognition has been met with an uneasy silence from India’s Hindu nationalist leadership. While the award honors Lucknow’s Muslim-rooted gastronomy, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has publicly celebrated the accolade without acknowledging its Islamic lineage or meat-based dishes.

Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat marked the occasion by posting images of vegetarian dishes from his home state, Rajasthan, calling the award “a recognition of India’s rich gastronomic traditions.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Lucknow’s “vibrant culture and great culinary heritage” — but made no mention of the foods or Muslim influences that defined the honor.

Analysts and journalists said the omissions reflect an ongoing attempt by the BJP to recast cultural symbols historically tied to India’s Muslim heritage.

Senior journalist Siddharth Varadarajan called the government’s narrative “an amazing invisibilization of non-vegetarian culinary culture,” adding that “Hindutvavadis believe only in what they like, to the exclusion of all others.”

Journalist Vivek Mukherjee accused Shekhawat of “dishonesty and bigotry” for erasing Lucknow’s Muslim artistry from official messaging, while Supreme Court lawyer Sanjay Hegde mocked the attempt, writing: “Yes, yes. Lucknow’s veg biryani has been declared the best biryani in the world.”

Lucknow’s cuisine, developed under the Nawabs of Awadh, is a product of Indo-Persian fusion, where Muslim chefs perfected slow-cooking techniques such as dum pukht and layered rice dishes that now define much of northern Indian cuisine. Culinary historians argue that erasing these influences amounts to denying the roots of Indian gastronomy itself.

Cultural observers say the government’s reaction fits into a broader ideological pattern — appropriating India’s Islamic cultural heritage while minimizing its Muslim origins.

By Sabina Mammadli