Pani Puri ka Maja

RASRANJAN of University Area
Rasranjan Restaurant is a sweet and snack shop cum bakery which serves scrumptious and delicious variety of baked delicacies along with Indian sweets cum snacks as well.  

I heard the name "RasRanjan" for the first time, while i was traveling from Ahmedabad to Patna. I was offered dry Samosa of RasRanjan Restaurant by a family from Ahmedabad travelling to UP. They told me that Rasranjan is the best place to have sweets and Namkeen in the city. It happened 9 years back. But, i still remember their words that they used to passionately talk about RasRanjan. They even told me that several NRIs take packed Namkeen from here to foreign countries.

I later realized that RasRanjan was also the favorite food joint of my friend who is now my beloved wife, Payal. There are many fond memories related to RasRanjan and i can assure you that they serve the best Pani Puri in Ahmedabad. One drawback is that they have only one flavor, but that "special flavor" cannot be compared with any other. In last 9 years, they have opened new branches, increased price many times, made many new customers, become a bigger brand, but the flavor of Pani Puri is same. Some things should never change.

In Ahmedabad, where you will find Pani Puri being sold at each nook and corner, everyone has his/her on favorite place to eat Pani Puri. But, i am sure that you can't find more hygenic and tasty Pani Puri then that found at RasRanjan. 

It's My Life! A Pigeon's life!


"Lucky" with his group
Thank God! I was born as a Pigeon one year back and my names is Lucky. I live a peaceful and happy life. 

My life is very different from yours. I live a carefree, but a disciplined life. Every morning,  I wake up as soon as the Sun rises. I live in Satellite at Mansi Circle and there are lot of kind people who feed us. They think it will bring them God's blessing. It's their religious belief which allows me and my group to have grand party throughout the day. Even though I "shit" anywhere we like, good Ahmedavadis never mind. It's their care and humanity which impresses me. 

It's only during Uttarayan, when I hate being in Ahmedabad. You Ahmedavadis enjoy kite flying, but it's the thread or "manjha" which threatens my life. I run here and there to save myself. Many of my friends died or got injured during last Uttarayan. Though some social groups have been trying to create awareness and saved many lives, all are not "Lucky".

It's my sincere request to avoid using Chinese or Nylon thread. Only use thread which has not been sharpened by rubbing glass. Think about us before you buy "manjha".

I love this city as here people are so generous that they even build Pigeon Huts. In my next birth, i will love to be born as a Ahmedavadi. I end my story with a quote of Rabindranath Tagore - “The fish in the water is silent, the animals on the earth is noisy, the bird in the air is singing. But man has in him the silence of the sea, the noise of the earth and the music of the air.”

Think “out of box”


Mr JATIN NAGORI

This is about a versatile Ahmedavadi Mr Jatin Nagori.  

He is a Post Graduate in Commerce with a degree in Law and also holding Diploma in Export Marketing Management. He joined IIMA in 1983 as an Account Clerk. He could have continued in the same department but it was his self-initiative, which won him the title of Program Officer-Post Graduate Programme in Management.

In 2008, he was offered by the management of the institute to work in any other department except Accounts. He wanted to do something new. He was asked for his preference. He preferred to work and get involved with students. Finally, he was appointed as Administrative and Supportive Head for the flagship programme of the institute, Post Graduate Program (PGP) as PGP Officer where he had to start from a scratch. It took about a year of involved learning to understand the complete process. He had to give extra time and effort to understand the whole cycle. It's during his tenure that significant changes have taken place regarding increase of 54% in total intake and nearly 40% increase in electives courses in last 3 years.

Along with his job, he wanted to do something else to give more meaning to his life. It was his outlook towards life and a burning desire to try new thing, which gave him the opportunity to work as an online tutor for Tutor Vista (USA based) which is world's-leading online education company. At the time of selection, he was completely unaware about use of computer applications. But, seeing his aptitude and knowledge about the Accounts subject, he was given the chance to teach global students online after proper rigorous training of 6 weeks scheduled from 9.30 pm to 12.30 pm six days a week.

He excelled and delivered online tuitions for more than 1300 hours where he was rated 97% in overall ranking of various components. It was physically and mentally challenging due to different time zone as the most of the students were from USA/UK. Many times, there were also Gujarati students residing at USA/UK or Saudi countries. After working for about a year with Tutor Vista, he switched with the company who offered him to teach in late evening due to time constrain. He joined Delhi based company named Learning Hour that is well known and is established by the alumnus of IIMA for online tutoring in India as they were flexible regarding tuition timings.
During this period, he had a memorable moment, which is worth narrating.

At Learning Hour, he was given a special online teaching assignment of Accountancy for 3 Indian students residing at Dubai. The challenge was to fulfill the wish of one of the student named Astha Goyal who wanted to come first in her class/school. It may seem easy to tutor online, but in reality it's quite different from classroom environment. Technology has its own benefits and limitations which can be understood best when done practically.

Mr Nagori accepted the challenge and worked quite hard. In the pre board exams, she could perform good but not the best. So, both the student as well as the tutor put extra efforts. Good amount of time was spent on mock tests and detailed revision. It was demonstration of dedication and determination that resulted in a surprise outcome. Astha Goyal was not only class or school topper, but she ranked number one in Dubai for Accountancy subject in the CBSE Board result of May 2008. The another student Ms. S.Sanghavi who was second in accounts but was overall first in Dubai which was published in The Gulf News. It was a remarkable award for someone who was teaching a student sitting thousands of kilometers away without seeing each other. 

There are some teachers whom we never forget. Similarly some students are special and leave their mark for ever. One such student in Mr Nagori’s life is a Russian student named Yan who was studying in Ahmedabad sometime during 2005-o7. His mother Yanna was nominated to teach Russian language by the Russian Consulate at Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA). He was challenged by one of the Xavier school teacher. He accepted the challenge and taught him Accountancy and Statistics for 2 years.  Yan was a lazy boy who detested study. He was an introvert who knew only 3 people while he was in Ahmedabad, his mother, Mr. Nagori and himself. He was shy and he was only fluent in Russian. The English language was the media and common way of communication between both of them. It was a formidable job. Lack of attitude towards learning added more challenge. However, on the day of Statistics exam, his auto toppled. He was injured and missed the exam. Later, he appeared for compartment exam and passed it with good marks and it was a tribute to his tutor.

Seeing his devotion towards education and in recognition of his knowledge and skills, he was invited as a Chief Guest for a National Conference on "Financial Inclusion" at Shri Krsihna Arts and Science College, Department of Commerce. Coimbatore in February 2011.
He has been giving personal tuition of Accounts to local students from last 28 years. He is even involved with some social welfare group of his community.

All this would not have been possible without the blessings of his late parents and the support of his family. He appreciates his wife, Mrs. Hina Nagori and two lovely daughters for being so co-operative. One of the daughters Murli is a talented Tabla player who started learning at the young age of 9 years. She is not a professional but loves to play Tabla for her near and dear ones. She has performed her playing of Tabla on the stage of “Saptak” in presence of Late Pandit Kishan Maharaj and Pandit Zakir Hussain in 1996. She is also a very good painter and has won many prizes and certificates. She is currently working as Assistant Manager at SNL Finance (KPO), Vastrapur. The second daughter Bansari who is a trained vocalist is studying in First year of Physiotherapy.

Mr. Nagori’s source of motivation is Dr Chaitanya Nagori who is a well-known expert in infertility and Test Tube Baby across the world that runs “Nagori Institute of Infertility” in Ahmedabad. Dr Nagori is a self-made man whose life itself is an inspirational story of rags to riches.

Mr. JatinNagori’s passion is working sincerely and with dedication to deliver his best. He leads a disciplined life and is very punctual in his work. He hopes to provide consultancy service and online tuitions after his retirement. He is a young by heart and loves to interact with young students. 

Though his good work may not have got enough recognition, I am sure that society is thankful to him and other such teachers who take their profession and job sincerely. His concern about his students must be appreciated.
One important thing I marked in my 90 minutes of interaction was that he believes in “learning never stops”.
He will agree with what once Henry Ford said “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.”

Thanks for reading.

Idol Worship!

Mold of Idol of Lord Ganesh
There is one area in Ahmedabad which comes into limelight only during some religious festivals. It is the slum area of Gulbai Tekra which is known for selling idols of deities.


It exists since 17th century and comprises of 1300 huts and 90% population are idol makers. It's just like any another slum, densely populated, narrow lanes, unhygienic living and working conditions. But, slum dwellers here, become very important when they start selling idols of Gods and Goddesses. Though they are economically backward and their earnings are seasonal, they have not left their craft. They are skilled and give marvelous finish.


Working for such long periods in dirty living conditions is tough and they don’t even have adequate storage space. The poor workers for want of proper storage space have to keep the moulds out in the open during the year, often damaging them. They then have to make new moulds, wasting time and money.


Most of idols are made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) as buyers prefer them in comparison to clay. The reason is huge difference in price. A one-foot clay idol costs anything between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000, while the PoP idols of the same size will cost around Rs 300 only. The price depends upon the size of the idols and can cost up to Rs.12,000 for the bigger ones.

Gulbai Tekra is not only famous for its finely carved statues of the Hindu god, but attracts customers from states like Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh as well. Hundreds of trucks carrying mould from here are dispatched to other states every year.

This year Ganesh Chaturthi fall on 1st September. But, while crossing Gulbai Tekra, you can see that work on making idols of Lord Ganesh has already started. 

Do Ankhyen Barah Haath! Real Vrs Reel Life!


I was awe-struck when i first time heard the story that there are prisoners of Sabarmati Jail who are selling Bhajia .





Story starts when Chandubhai Prajapati, an inmate in Sabarmati Jail, after being sentenced for life in 1983 for triple murder case, in his first month in jail, offered help to the jail authorities in preparing delicious Bhajiya and other savories.

SABARMATI JAIL BHAJIYA HOUSE
In 1998, the then jail superintendent V.T. Gautam proposed to the then IG (Prison) Vijay Guman that a tea and Bhajiya stall could be started outside the jail with Chandubhai's help. The IG approved the idea. Within few days, they hit a "gold-mine". Their Bhajia was a big hit. Today "Sabarmati Jail Bhajiya" is a household name. The cooks are convicts who have been handpicked for their good conduct. 

Their total annual business cross 1 crore and they have even started one mobile van selling BhajiasTheir success model has been copied by other jails in Vadodara and Surat.


Another Activity of Sabarmati Prisoners
Bhajiya is not the only thing the prisoners make. Bakery items is also in the list, handicrafts and hand-loom items like bed sheets, carpets, towels, colourful plain cloth, handbags is also get sold.

This real life story seems to be inspired by the movie "Do Ankhyen Barah Haath"  where the protagonist tries to rehabilitate prisoners who were serious criminals in order to bring them back into the society as a good human beings. No one is born criminal. Thus this noble idea must be applauded.

INAUGRATION
At the end, Chandubhai Prajapati who is the hero of the real-life story has started his own Bhajia business and is as popular as 
Sabarmati Jail Bhajiya House.

Ageless Kulfi!


RAJDEEP RESTAURANT

Kulfi or Qulfi is a popular frozen milk-based dessert which is often described as "traditional Indian Subcontinent ice-cream. Unlike Western ice creams, kulfi is not whipped, resulting in a solid, dense frozen dessert similar to traditional custard based ice-cream. 

In a city where Summer season is very long and maximum temperature is always ready to cross 40-45,  Ahmedavadis are fond of ice-cream and Kulfi. You will find an ice-cream parlor or milk parlor on every main road. 

Rajdeep Restaurant near Lal Darwaja is well known for selling mind-blowing Kulfi. Their Mumbai Chaupati Kulfi is very special and it has been strategically priced low. Since, it's in a busy area of Old Ahmedabad, they mint money like anything. They avoid to give the correct figure, but selling more than 1000 Kulfi in a day is not a big deal for them. They are into this business from more than 30 years. Once you have tasted their Kulfi, you will remember the flavor for ever.

Many Questions! But, not a single Answer!

An Unknown Beggar at Vastrapur
Why there is no Anna Hazare or Ramdev Baba to fight for rehabilitation of beggars?

A question asked on "Yahoo Answers" - "How to stop beggars menace in India?" has 15 different answers.

But, i want to ask you - Are beggars really a menace?

How many times have you seen beggars outside restaurants, hotels or any other food joints? Most of you will say that's is usual and we are used to it. You may also have noted that they have their marked area. Same beggars will be seen in particular area. While driving, at many crossings, you may have seen them knocking on car's windows for alms.

How do you feel when beggars approach you? Are you irritated or feel pity for them or just give some money/food? I am sure, all of you have different opinion and react differently.

Coming to an important point, we hardly read about any welfare schemes being run by the government to rehabilitate these beggars. None of the media feed us with any update on this topic. Ironically, Ahmedabad Mirror (TOI) once had a cover story about some beggars of Ahmedabad who are actually having more than lakh of rupees.

We all know that giving alms will not solve the problem. But, many of us do so as a good human being.
Real solution lies in the hand of our local government. A lot can change if the government takes an initiative to involve public and private enterprise in any project launched to "rehabilitate beggars of Ahmedabad". Ahmedavadis are kind and generous people. They all will be happy to take part in any initiative taken by the government in this regard.

Let's hope that soon our wish gets fulfilled.

Don't give up! Be normal!

SONI & NAGJI OF ANDHJAN MANDAL
Though they are physically challenged, their heart is made of iron. They don't give up! In spite of many challenges in their day to day life, they try to live a normal life and want others to respect their modesty.

Today, i met Soni Hitesh and Nagji. They were deftly moving on their tricycles. They were returning after playing cricket. I stopped them to talk for a while. I just wanted to know about their way of living. My findings were worth sharing. They love Ahmedabad because this is a big city where they can expect some job.

They live in Andhjan Mandal, Blind People Association, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad. They were born fit and fine. But, when they were kid, they missed their Pulse Polio Drops.  Later they fell ill and unfortunately lost the ability to move their legs or walk. In spite of their disability, they live a normal life. They are students and going through computer training of one year. They are clear about their career.

At Andhjan Mandal, they have all the required facilities and the best part is that they are free. They said that food served is better than their home food. It's a great complement about the "care taken" by Andhjan Mandal. Ahmedabad should be proud of having such a great organization.



Amazing!

DAS KHAMAN HOUSE
I have seen people standing in line for movie tickets, for entry into the stadium, students waiting to enter exam center or while people buy railway tickets. But, it's really amazing to see people standing in queue for their turn to order snacks.

Das Khaman, near Nehrunagar Circle, Ambawadi, is a Gujarati Snacks outlet which is famous for Khaman, Dhokla & Sev Khamani. It's 89 years old. On Sunday, one may have to wait for half an hour. It's popularity is all because of it's secret ingredients which have magical power. If you love Khaman, you can't stop yourself from becoming one more fan of Das Khaman. Their tasty food justifies the waiting time.

The most important P

MANOHAR CHORAFALI
People of all age, from different classes of the society, from different backgrounds can be seen eating Chorafali together. Manohar Chorafali is just a small counter specially selling Chorafali, but do a huge business of more than Rs 5000/day. Manohar Chorafali is selling this Gujarati dish from last 30 years and has this counter, off Ashram Road, behind Sales India from last 10 years. He has a huge customer base made of office staffs of nearby business houses. His fresh Chorafali does not need marketing.

MANOHARBHAI

Manohar is a lively character and prepares the dish himself. He also knows and understands his business well, so he keep things simple. He makes us believe that product is the most important marketing P out of 4 Ps (Product, Place, Price & Promotion) of Kotler. 

Samosa KIng!

MAHARAJA SAMOSA CENTRE

Small triangular flat Samosas served in Navtad Ni Pol became so famous that they became a brand name for such form of Samosas. It's flat and have different stuffing like aloo, chana dal and mutter with masala.

Maharaja Samosa Centre, near Sardar Patel Colony is 25 years old and is the most famous snacks outlet in Navrangpura. Whenever you go there, you will see a crowd of people enjoying the "mast" taste of Navtad Samosa with their trademark "Chatni". You will always find them fresh and mouth-watering. You will be able to smell the aroma in the surrounding area. It's special.

YOGESH KHAMAN HOUSE
In Navrangpura, Yogesh Khaman House is specialized in preparing Khaman & Khamani.
It is 14 years old and they are already one of the most respected snacks-counter in Ahmedabad. Daily sales of Khaman must be more than 50kg on an average.I liked their Sev Khamani and it really tastes wonderful.

These traditional snacks are treated as breakfast by Ahmedabadi and these counters do brisk business as they have huge demand.

A Remarkable Common Man!

VIPUL SHAH

This is about a common man who lives a remarkable life. Vipulbhai Shah  has so many health problems that they are difficult to count on fingers. But, you will always see him smiling. He has survived Brain Hemorrhage and half-body paralysis. He visits hospital twice in a week for dialysis due to kidney problem. As his blood circulation is abnormal in his right leg, it's not easy for him to walk even few steps. You will surely be surprised to know that in spite of so many health problems, he daily goes to office where he works for Accounts & Audit department. 

It's his indomitable spirit and lively nature which makes his life look simple. His philosophy of life seems to be "keep smiling". His smile is catchy.

He has done BCom. He loves his work. He enjoys it. He is working in the same company from last 12 years. Even though the head of his company has asked him to work from home, he keeps himself busy at office.

He likes eating Gujarati dish "Chorafali" and is a complete "Foodie" who loves Gujarati snacks.

His life is an inspirational story. Many of us look for health excuse to take leave from work, but he hardly takes any full day leave unless it's an emergency. I have never met any other common man like him as there are very few.

Smart Cookie!

Imperial Bakery, Shahpur
Cookies or Biscuits are most commonly baked until crisp or just long enough that they remain soft, but some kinds of cookies are not baked at all. Cookies are made in a wide variety of styles, using an array of ingredients including sugars, spice, chocolate, butter, peanut butter, nuts or dried fruits. The softness of the cookie may depend on how long it is baked.


In Ahmedabad, there is a bakery shop which is more than 75 years old. Cookies of Imperial bakery have magical ingredients and they are loved by every Ahmedavadis. There are 6 branches and Mirzapur branch is the main. They have huge varieties of cookies in different flavors. They also serve Puffs and their Manchurian Puff is special. It's credible to keep serving cookies of so many types for such a long time while keeping the same taste. It's really a big cookie brand in Ahmedabad. 

Stuffed Triangle!

BeeKay Bakers, CG Road 
In Ahmedabad, one of the most readily available snacks is "Puff". You will find various varieties of Puff (eg Cheese, Veg, Paneer, etc) served in different ways. But, all vegetable Puffs have the same shape like a Triangle. It's cheap, tasty and a favorite quick bite.

On CG Road, at Swastik cross-road, BeeKay Bakers is a 16 year old bakery shop which is well known for serving the best quality Puffs. They have maintained the same quality. Their Puffs are fresh and it may be difficult for you to get satisfied with only one Puff. You will obviously love to have another one. They are also famous for Cakes & Pastries. 

I was ragged, but i was happy!

KAMLESH RATHOR
It's about ragging! It's not always bad. During my MBA, my seniors gave me a project in order to tease me. I was asked to go to a magazine store and make a list of 50 Adult Magazines.

They were unaware of the fact that i am a avid magazine reader. I have been reading 5-6 news magazines every week, from last 12 years. Since i was new in town, i was looking for some book shop. Unlike my hometown Patna where you will find a roadside magazine stall in almost every "gali", i was surprised that here i could find so many restaurants, but hardly any book stall. So, this project actually gave me a kick. I asked for information from local class mates. They told me about the book stall near IIM, Vastrapur. I went to the shop. Though there were few such magazines, the vendor was able to guide me in making a long list. Finally, my seniors were surprised and happy.

Today, if you will go to new IIM campus, just on the left hand side of the entry gate, you will find a Magazine store. The owner is  Kamlesh Rathor who is quite educated and has completed ITI. He belongs to slums of Gulbari Tekra and you will hardly find anyone else from that society having such qualification. He is doing business from last 12 years. He is giving good education to his two kids. He lives near Vastrapur Gam and has his own house. He loves this business and is eager to continue growing his customer base. He also manage his library of novels and has more than 70 regular members. He has good knowledge about bestsellers and latest book release. You will find latest issue of all types of Magazines. His Mobile number is 8141159435.

Samosa Time!

Navin Chavana & Sweet Mart is a very famous sweet and snacks corner. It is located opposite Navrangpura Bus Stand. It is 51 years old and their Samosa and Papris are very tasty. Daily sales is more than 1000 Samosas. Their samosa has a unique test which you can't forget. It is slightly sweet. "Chatnis" served here along with samosa make them special. If Samosa is your favorite snack, then go for them.

Cheese factor!

If you want to eat the best Cheese Sandwich in Ahmedabad and you are in the University area, then you must eat at this road side Amul road-side food counter. Suresh serves fresh and tasty Sandwich of different varieties. He has a huge base of regular customers. Mainly students who are studying in near by schools and colleges enjoy his food. From tomorrow he is extending his working hours. He will be serving from 8am to 11pm.


An untold true story!



GOSWAMI HAVELI
Although i am a brahmin from Bihar, my wife Payal Shah is a Pusthimargi. After marriage, we made it a habit to visit Goswami Haveli, every thursday morning. There is a  "Akhand Jyoti" which is a lamp burning continuously from more than 200 years.  We always used to take 108 circles which are called "pheras" of the lamp while saying "Shree Krishna Sharnam Mamah". 


Payal used to wear contact lenses. Once while wearing her contact lens,she lost her vision. She saw everything as scattered bright white pixels. It seemed we have lost everything. Our life took a "U" turn. Everything changed. We were completely lost. Doctors were unable to understand the reason. 


At that time,i thought that we have been so devoted to Lord krishna, so this thing cannot happen with me. Next morning when Payal woke up, i was waiting beside her to see her reaction. To everyone's surprise Payal's vision was back. These were the worst 36 hours of my life, but my beliefs changed forever.


Till this incident, i was unaware about the importance of 108 "pheras". But, now i know why thousands of people throng this Haveli on every Thursday. 

Oh! You don't miss!


Though i am living in Ahmedabad from last 9 years, i was unknown of these two "street-side" snacks counter. Both have been running their business from more than 28 years. It's in a "gali" beside SBI Bank, Ashram Road, near Gujarat Vidya Peeth. Food is really delicious. You will love the "Dalvada" of Anand Dalvada and Dhiren Modi is famous for making tasty "Bhel" of various varieties. 

It will be delightful to know about such places in Ahmedabad. 

I missed the chance to have their snacks for more than 9 years. That's why a website covering many more places like these is very important. I am happy to be working in a right direction. After reading this blog post, i am sure you will not miss these great snacks.