Guwahati's great picnic shift: From shared toil to resort-style ease

Once upon a winter morning, a picnic meant waking up before dawn, packing aluminium utensils, rolling up tents, loading firewood, and squeezing into a bus filled with laughter, songs and company. The destination mattered, but the journey and the chaos then was the real charm.

Today, that picture is changing.

Across cities and small towns alike, especially during the peak picnic season, most picnickers are now opting for resort-based outings with buffet meals over traditional, self-planned outdoor picnics.

The shift mirrors changing lifestyles, while also fuelling a broader debate over comfort versus culture, convenience versus community.

Family enjoying picnic at a resort in outskirts of Guwahati (Photo - Tripadvisor)

The rise of the resort picnic

For many families, office colleagues and friend groups, the appeal is zero hassle! Instead of planning menus, arranging cooks, renting tents, or coordinating utensils, picnic-goers now book a resort package. The deal often includes a lawn, music system, children’s play area, swimming pool access, and a hot buffet.

“People want to relax, not supervise cooking,” says Rajib Das, manager of a riverside resort near Guwahati. A buffet picnic lets families enjoy quality time. Elderly people, women, and children don’t have to struggle with arrangements anymore,” he added.

Corporate groups have been especially quick to embrace this model. Fixed budgets, predictable food quality and clean washrooms make resorts an easy choice. Young parents echo the sentiment.

“Earlier, picnics were fun but exhausting. Now, we enjoy the day without worrying if the rice will burn or the curry will finish early,” says Ankita Sharma, who now prefers resort picnics with her family.

Tent owners, service providers rue.

At a time when weekends are short and workweeks are long, the resort-picnic model fits neatly into modern schedules. But not everyone sees this change as progress.

For tent owners, cooks and utensil suppliers, the buffet picnic has altered an entire seasonal economy. Winter used to be their busiest time, when one booking led to another, often back-to-back. “Earlier, December and January would feed our families for months,” says Bhaskar Kalita, a tent owner who has been in the business for over 20 years.

The picnic scene has changed and for tent owners, business isn't what it used to be (Photo - rishav_20)

“Now, half our bookings are gone. Resorts have taken over what was once our livelihood,” he adds. Traditional picnics were collective efforts where everyone had a role, be it chopping vegetables, lighting the fire, stirring the pot, or singing on the bus ride. The buffet, critics argue, replaces participation with consumption. “You eat and leave. That’s it. Earlier, the cooking itself was bonding time. Children learned teamwork. Now they only queue for food,” says Rina Bora, a schoolteacher.

A cultural shift on plate

Food, too, has changed. Traditional picnic menus were personal with recipes passed down from generations, spice levels adjusted, special dishes cooked with pride. Resort buffets, while polished, often standardise taste. Still, some resorts are adapting.

“We now offer local picnic-style dishes cooked live. People want convenience, but they also want nostalgia. We’re trying to balance both,” says Das.

Picnikers thronging a spot at Bogamati (Photo - X)

Is there a middle path?

Some groups are experimenting with hybrid picnics by booking open grounds but hiring cooks, or using resorts while bringing along a few homemade dishes. Others alternate, opting for a traditional picnic one year and a resort-based outing the next. The picnic, it seems, is evolving rather than disappearing.

At its heart, a picnic has never been about food alone. It has always been about togetherness, shared effort, and stories created under open skies.

As lifestyles change, so do traditions. The challenge lies in ensuring that, even as we embrace comfort, we do not lose the warmth that once made picnics unforgettable. Because sometimes, the best part of a picnic isn’t the food, but the effort we put in together to make it a cherished time spent with family and friends.