Raja Jaggery Manufacturer

Our place is out in Malapanagudi Post, which is part of the Bellary district. It’s a rural area, and we are surrounded by fields where most of the sugarcane we use is grown. We don't have a big factory with computers; it’s more of a traditional shed where we do all the boiling and cooling. The days start very early because we need to beat the midday heat as much as possible. We use the old ways of making jaggery, which involves a lot of manual labor and watching the fires carefully. The smoke from the furnace is a constant thing, and our clothes usually smell like it by the time we go home. We have a small group of workers who are like family, and everyone knows exactly what to do when the juice starts to thicken. We pour the liquid into wooden frames to let it set, and then we have to wait for hours before it’s solid enough to move. It’s a slow process, and you can’t really rush it if you want it to turn out right. We don't spend money on marketing or fancy packaging. We just stack the finished blocks in the storage area and wait for the local traders to come by and pick them up. It’s quiet work for the most part, except for the sound of the crusher and the occasional tractor passing by on the dirt road.