Savour the flavours of Pujo from Odisha through this supper club in Mumbai this weekend

A traditional Odia thali being prepared at GupChup Table. Pics Courtesy/Rasmita Das

You can grow up hundreds of kilometres from your parents’ hometown and still know when a festival has arrived. Sometimes, it is the food being prepared in the kitchen, a familiar ritual being repeated or a family story that resurfaces around the dining table. For Rasmita Das, these were the threads that kept Odisha within reach while Mumbai became home.

Born in Odisha but raised in Mumbai, Das learnt about her birthplace through her parents, who made sure its traditions and cuisine travelled with them. Her husband and in-laws later helped her reconnect with those roots, turning a childhood inheritance into a relationship she continues to discover. Now, through GupChup Table, her Mumbai-based supper club, she is opening that personal archive to others with a traditional Odia Dussehra Puja Bhoji.

Guests gather around the table for the Dussehra Puja Bhoji

“I’ve always felt that food is one of the most beautiful ways to keep a culture alive and bring people closer to their roots,” she says. The tables are intimate; dishes arrive course by course, and conversation has as much room as the food. Guests are encouraged to linger, exchange stories and discover a culture without feeling as though they are sitting through a lesson in it.

For Odias living in Mumbai, the gathering might stir memories of family celebrations and familiar festive rituals. For those encountering the cuisine for the first time, it offers a way into Odisha through the people, traditions and stories behind the meal. “We want them to feel like they’ve been invited home for a meal,” she says.

It is a fitting ambition for a supper club named GupChup Table. The name evokes both a beloved Odia street food and the chatter that makes a meal memorable. Das hopes guests arrive curious about the culture and leave having made connections of their own.

ON October 17 and 18 AT Dahisar East (location and time revealed upon registration)LOG ON TO @GupChup_table (for the registration form) COST Rs 1350 onwards

. Tanka Torani: A tangy fermented rice-water drink with curd, mango ginger, lemon and spices

. GupChup: Crisp puris filled with spiced potato and tangy flavoured water, an Odia street-food favourite

. Dahi Bara Aloo Dum: Soft urad dal dumplings in seasoned yoghurt, served with spicy potato curry

. Kanika: Fragrant rice cooked with ghee, spices, sugar, nuts and raisins for festive occasions.

. Dalma: Lentils simmered with seasonal vegetables and traditional spices

. Chhui Aloo Besara: Potatoes and drumsticks cooked in a robust mustard-based gravy

. Tamatar Khajuri Khata: Tomatoes and dates cooked with spices for a sweet-and-sour accompaniment.

. Bhoji Kheeri: Creamy rice pudding slowly simmered in milk, it is the festive feast’s sweet finale

Anondo Mela Explore Bengali home cooking at this festive mela, featuring traditional dishes, family recipes and sweets prepared by home cooks.ON October 16 to 21; 7 pm to 9.30 pm AT SNDT Women’s College, Kidwai Marg, Matunga East. LOG ON TO hoyichoyianondo.com

Kalbadevi Sarvajanin Durga PujaExperience Mumbai’s 97-year-old community puja, with traditional rituals, festive gatherings and a taste of Bengali bhog.ON October 15 to 21 AT Madhav Baug, Kalbadevi, Charni Road. LOG ON TO kalbadevisarvajanin.om

Durga Maa knife-painting workshop Create artwork of Goddess Durga using a palette knife at this painting workshop.ON October 20; 3.30 pm onwards AT PizzaExpress, Bandra Kurla Complex. LOG ON TO bombaydrawingroom.com COST Rs 2299

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