The air-conditioned room at the Patel residence in Rajkot is spic and span. A computer, a stereo, books and TV have also been readied but there’s one aspect the family can’t decide on — the menu for the foreign guests who are scheduled to visit the city during Navratri as part of the Government’s Vibrant Gujarat programme.Says Kishorbhai Patel, ‘‘My family is really looking forward to playing host to NRIs and foreign guests but though Navratri is round the corner, we still have no idea who is coming to our place and when.’’He adds: ‘‘It would have been better if we’d known which country they were coming from. This would enable us to be better prepared. We could read up about them and arrange their meals in a manner that would make they feel at home.’’Ramesh Ghelani and his family are worried whether they’ll be able to communicate with their guests. ‘‘I came forward to be the host as I wanted my children to interact with people from a different country so that they could get exposure to another culture. If we knew where they were coming from, the kids could read up and know enough to converse with them.’’Rajkot District Collector J.P. Gupta says that around 150 NRIs are expected to visit Rajkot and already 71 families have agreed to play host under the Atithi Devo Bhava programme. The two requisites for playing a host are an AC room with a European-style toilet. Most of the entries are from those associated with organisations like the Swaminarayan Trust or Rotary Club.Said a follower of the Swaminarayan sect, ‘‘I had no idea about the Atithi Devo Bhava programme but my organisation asked me to get my name registered so I did. I have been told that NRIs have been good hosts for members of our organisation so now it’s our turn to reciprocate’’.Gupta says though 71 families have come forward as of now, additional arrangements will be made in hotels if the number of guests increases. ‘‘Except for information on who will come and when, the administration is all set. Besides NRIs, a 40-member foreign troupe will come to perform in Rajkot and arrangements for their stay have been made in hotels. The troupe will perform at two traditional garbis, he added.Besides, Gupta said three tourist circuits had been chalked out so that the guests can get an idea of Gujarat.
