A decade ago, getting hot idlis near the snow-capped Caucasus mountains of Gudauri was probably a dream for most Indian tourists and medical students in Georgia.
Gudauri has become a “must visit” destination for Indian tourists and medical students – thanks to its scenic views, snow and hotels – restaurants serving Indian cuisine are flourishing in this beautiful European-based ski resort.
Gudauri came into limelight on December 14 when a gas leak occurred in an Indian restaurant, Haveli. 12 people died, 11, including Indians, due to suspected carbon monoxide poisoning during a severe blizzard. The day the body was found, the temperature dropped to minus 18 degrees. According to local media, it is said that he died after the smoke of the generator kept in the closed room filled the premises.
However, the incident highlighted the growing Indian presence in Gudauri, which began to develop as a tourist destination after the first hotel was established there in the late 1980s. Located near the Russian border, Gudauri is now home to around 36 Indian and Indian-Arabic restaurants, catering to the growing number of Indian tourists and students, mainly pursuing medical education in Georgia.
One such restaurant is owned by Elizabeth Johny of Ernakulam, Kerala. A partner in Indian restaurant Lunch Box, which opened six months ago in Gudauri, she says her first restaurant has been in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, for more than a decade.
“Gudauri is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Georgia. In winter, people come here to ski. In summer, they go to the resort to enjoy the cool weather,” says Elizabeth, adding that her new restaurant in Gudauri has two hundred visitors a day.
Gudauri Ski Resort is famous for its ski slopes and snow-capped mountains. (Photo: Special arrangement)
Talking about the presence of Indians in Gudauri’s hospitality industry, she says, “Out of over 100 restaurants, hotels and motels here, about 36 are owned by Punjabis, Gujaratis, South Indians and Pakistanis. All these restaurants serve Indian food. My restaurant serves South Indian food. The presence of locals in Gudauri is nominal. Ski resorts are usually full of tourists and people in the hospitality and ski business.
On Gudauri’s growing appeal among Indians, Darpan Parashar, president of the Business Chamber in Georgia from 2021, says, “Since the launch of direct flights from New Delhi to Georgia a few years ago, the influx of Indian tourists and students has increased. This led to the opening of new Indian restaurants here.”
Before Gudauri became popular among Indian visitors, it was a favorite skiing destination among Europeans due to its scenic beauty and ski slopes. “The city’s proximity to the Russian border — it’s the only open crossing between Georgia and Russia — also adds to its appeal,” says Parashar.
According to a report by the local English newspaper Georgia Today, the first ski lift was opened in 1988 in Gudauri, while Georgia was part of the former Soviet Union. Adding to Gudauri’s reputation as a major winter resort in Eastern Europe, several ski lifts were constructed here, the newspaper report adds.
According to the National Statistics Office of Georgia, in 2023 Gudauri was the top mountain resort destination for international visitors to the country. Of the nearly 4.5 million international visitors to Georgia’s mountain resorts in 2023, 71% visited Gudauri.
Today, Georgia has become a hub for Indian students, especially those hoping to pursue medicine. Parashar says that more than 20,000 Indian students now study in Georgia, mainly in its 21 medical universities.
“As Gudauri is only a two-hour drive from Tbilisi, it is rare to find an Indian student in Georgia who has not visited this stunning destination,” he says.
Gudauri actually seems to be a popular destination for Indian students in Tbilisi.
Harshvardhan, a fourth-year MBBS student at the Georgian American University in Tbilisi, says, “I recently went to Gudauri with my friends. Being close to Tbilisi we have been going there regularly ever since. Sometimes, we go there to eat at an Indian restaurant,” says Harsh.
Harsh Sharma runs an Indian grocery store in Tbilisi that supplies items to several Indian restaurants in Gudauri. (Photo: Special arrangement)
Garima, a fifth-year MBBS student at Altai Medical University Tbilisi, visited Gudauri for the first time last year and planned to go there this year to celebrate Christmas with friends. “Gudauri is easy and convenient to visit. Most students love going there for day trips and the delicious Indian food available there,” she says.
Anfas, a student from Kerala, visited Gudauri for the first time 6 months ago. “I now visit Gudauri regularly because of its natural beauty. Thanks to the presence of so many Indian restaurants there, finding food is never a problem,” he says.
Gudauri is a must-visit destination for Indian tourists planning a three- to four-day trip to Georgia, says Parashar. “Travel agents are aware of the easy availability of Indian food here. Many travel agents also bring in workers from India to staff the numerous Indian restaurants in the region,” he says.
Rajesh Kumar is one such person. Rajesh, currently the manager of Spice Garden Restaurant in Gudauri, came to Georgia a year ago in search of better employment. He says agents not only eased his legal journey, but also helped him find employment.
Harsh Sharma, who has run a cash-and-carry Indian grocer in Tbilisi for nearly a decade, says he supplies goods to dozens of Indian restaurants in Gudauri, the mansion where the accident happened last week.
A restaurant named Taj Mahal was one of the first Indian eateries to open in Gudauri nearly a decade ago, says Harsh, who says Indian students are among the majority of his customers. “Even if it is closed now, it is ready to open soon,” he added.
Harsh, who is from New Delhi, says Haveli was in Tbilisi, but about three years ago it was moved to Gudauri, where they opened two branches.
He recalls talking to one of the victims, Varinder Singh, a few days before the tragedy. He said that he wanted to visit India as he had not been home for almost two years, claimed Harsh.
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