MICHELIN-STARRED CHEF VIKAS KHANNA TO OPEN INDIA'S FIRST LIVING CULINARY MUSEUM

Michelin-starred celebrity chef Vikas Khanna is one of the biggest chefs of India. Vikas who hails from Amritsar owns a very popular restaurant in New York, Junoon. Junoon has been awarded Michelin Star by Michelin guide for 6 consecutive years since 2011. He is not only a chef but also a cookbook writer, a humanitarian and has been a judge for various seasons of MasterChef. Now, this versatile personality turns a curator. Vikas Khanna returns to his alma mater with India's first living culinary museum that will eventually display over 10,000 objects. He graduated from Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration from Manipal in 1991 and now he is opening up a Culinary Museum worth 4 Million USD there.

"Life is so much about a second chance and survival. I think that saving even just one of a kind is... a victory. Most of the pieces (displayed) are so iconic that they are being showcased as a witness to our culture,"

Vikas Khanna, the museum's founder and curator, told IANS [caption id="attachment_23809" align="alignnone" width="759"] Vikas Khanna[/caption] Talking to the same news agency he said that the idea came to him after he started living in the US. As America has more than 5,000 museums showcasing all kinds of stuff, it fascinated him. He also said that with this museum he wants to conserve the Indian culture. Spread over 25,000 sq.ft. the museum will be shaped as a giant pot similar to the ones found in the Harappa. The display will be in a staggering 17 categories, among them samovars, pots, cups and saucers; tiffins and containers, pots and pans; plates and thaals; spoons, ladles, strainers; graters and knives; whiskers, mixers, churners; spice grinder's and boxes; serving dishes; rolling pins, boards, tawas; stoves, chulhas; rice sieves and measuring tools for dry and liquid goods.

"This is a living museum; people can donate their unique utensils and we will display them after screening. I will keep adding to the collection as long as I am alive. The museum should feature over 10,000 objects in the near future. Once the museum is completed for the public, we have a full global plan to loan utensils to museums in New York, Madrid, Tokyo, Beijing, London and many more cities around the world to showcase our heritage,"

Said the chef. This museum will officially open from April next year.