It was Sunday morning when I got this nice and smiling face of this man selling vegetables at my doorstep … my mother was buying vegetables from him and I had my canon 600d to get this snap …

look at the smile .. i started thinking .. he is roaming through out the day in sunshine …. earning for his family … so happy face … who says u need lot of money to be happy ?

I started thinking of understanding them .. talk to them … have a series of street interviews in India and as I roam around …

understand why they are in this  business … what they think about their future .. children … how many hours they work … what they earn .. do they have house ? .. all such questions …. not sure how this will help them or u and me … but no harm in talking !!

So here goes the first street interview ….Ramesh Dhotre who is having his roadside shop selling local grinding means called as Pata Varvanta (Mortar and pestle) made from stones, used in local area for grinding of Indian spices for daily cooking.
Although today everyone has mixture & blenders for doing this work … many families still use this traditional method since taste of spices is different than that of mixer & grinder .. it tastes great … the spices flavor remains  raw .. the grains have different texture …and so he is still able to sell these pata varvanta ..

Mother of ramesh dhotre is shaping the stone to pestle shape …she is still active at old age .. works through out the day .. she was happy to see someone interested in talking to her son .. photographing her work …

Ramesh makes around 100 to 500 Rs per day … depending upon season …
he sells Pata at around 300 Rs and Varvanta set for 200~250 Rs .. depending upon the customer and need he changes his rates …

He is able to make his family means with this business … although his son is now learning in 8th standard and would do something else than the traditional business …

he brings raw material i.e. stones from Kamshet side by truck and shapes them locally …

Ready to sell sets for Dagadi and Varvanta …

Family of Ramesh .. son having his holidays so spending time at the shop …

Ramesh has decided that his son would not continue this business .. he says now a days people using these traditional means are decreasing and he do not see much future to this business …

As of now he is happy with his earnings and able to get his family with house and means …

Since this was my first street interview .. i missed asking many questions to him … but never mind ..

Surprisingly now the Pata Varvanta or Stone grinders are now available for Online sale !!

You can find one sold on Amazon by one of the sellers .. click here to check the same

Sil Batta aka Khal Batta aka Ammi kalla – Buy here

here is summary of street interview 1 …

Name – Ramesh Dhotre
Education – No
Occupation – Manufacturing of Pata & Varvanta (means to grind spices manually, Pata is also used for washing of cloths)
Location – In front of Big Bazar, Chinchwad station, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Selling price of goods – 200~400 Rs, depending upon size and customer
Earning – 100~500 Rs per day (depending upon industrial holiday, summer holidays, working day it varies)
Procurement of raw material – from nearby places, by truck
Family – Stays with mother, wife and son
House – Rented
Future plans – Son is studying in 8th standard, will not continue this business