A vendor prepares littis in Patna, now being offered to food lovers in Delhi for Bihar Divas celebrations. Telegraph picture

Lip-smacking state street foods have landed up in the national capital for the Bihar Divas celebrations.

On Friday, around 20 food vendors reached Delhi with their ingredients and utensils to dish out delicacies.

At Bihar Divas Mahotsav, organised by National Association of Street Vendors of India (Nasvi) in association with voluntary organisation Nidan, residents would be able to sample some of the choicest dishes of Bihar. The fest is on at Dilli Haat till March 22 when the momentum of the Bihar Divas celebrations will shift to Gandhi Maidan.

Among the goodies on offer are Silao ka khaja, litti-chokha, garlic-soaked mutton rice and jalebi rabri. Chicken taash kebab, chicken kebab, murkhi and chicken stew and rice will also entice the taste buds of the Delhi residents.

Vikas Kumar Gupta has set up a stall for Silao ka khaja. Starting off in his father’s business, Vikas from Silao in Nalanda today looks after a family of six with his income through street food vending. Though he sells jalebi, imarti and other sweets, his niche is in the khaja made of pure ghee and maida.

The reputation of his khaja is such that it is known as the Khaja of the Land. He has even priced it reasonably without compromising on the taste and quality.

The forte of Ashok Gupta, another food vendor from Patna, lies in the litti served with three varieties of chokha — potato, brinjal and tomato, some garlic-soaked mutton rice and jalebi rabri.

The fest not just aims to satisfy the foodies but also promote street food to boost the tourism sector.

Nasvi national co-ordinator Arbind Singh said: “Street food is a treasure house of local culinary traditions and is increasingly playing an important role as an enhancer and force multiplier of the tourism sector. But, we in India still lag behind many other Asian countries. There is a need to protect and promote the street food vending and integrate it with economy and tourism.”