Residents of several housing complexes and neighbourhoods this Ashtami will be served the traditional khichudi-labda by star hotels, no less.

With community lunch on puja days off the table, at least a couple of luxury hospitality addresses, whose business has taken a hit in this pandemic season, have sensed an opportunity and stepped into what is uncharted territory for them.

“We have a tradition of serving community lunch for the neighbourhood on Ashtami and Navami, which had to be cancelled. When we received a proposal from Novotel of serving packed lunch we were initially hesitant, thinking star hotel rates would be beyond us. But later we realised that only a five star property can ensure hygiene that is so vital now,” said Sumanta Roy, the general secretary of Jodhpur Park Saradiya Utsav Committee.

The puja has placed khichudi bhog lunch order with the hotel for Ashtami. “They are providing disposable cutlery in sealed lunch boxes,” Roy added.

In Golf Green, the goddess will be offered bhog cooked in the sanitised environment of the New Town hotel’s kitchen. “We could not trust local caterers this time,” said Sudip Bose, secretary, Golf Green Sharadotsav Committee. Novotel, he said, would deliver packed bhog at the pandal which the priest would offer during the ritual.

Residents will later collect their packets from one of six delivery counters. “This way, we are assured of almost contactless bhog delivery,” Bose said.

The general manager of Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences, Sandeep Johri, explained to Metro how outdoor catering has emerged as a new vertical in this season.

“People are not venturing out. So footfall is low. We were exploring various options, like having a bakery van parked in front of housing complexes every morning. Months ago, we had realised that this year, pankti bhoj will not happen. So we thought of taking the home delivery vertical further and doing large scale delivery.”

Peerless Inn is also delivering to four prominent housing complexes off the Bypass in south Calcutta.

“We have launched a home delivery segment under our QSR (quick service restaurant) outlet brand Aaheli Express, for which we have our own delivery channel. People prefer to eat Bengali cuisine during Puja, which is why they are approaching us. The cooking will happen at our base kitchen at the hotel and packing done on the spot maintaining hygiene norms,” Debasree Roy Sarkar, president, corporate development, Peerless Hotels.

At Urbana, when community lunch was cancelled the organisers thought up alternatives.

“Not having to shop for vegetables and step into the kitchen is part of enjoying Puja,” said Sujit Bhattacharya, president of Urbana Welfare Association.

For Saptami, they decided to hand over packed lunchbox catering to Aaheli Express. “They will deliver the boxes in each tower’s reception from where residents will collect them,” he added.

This new-found business vertical, predict the hoteliers, will be there to stay even after the pandemic blows over.