Dharmaraj Ice Candy

Down in the small village of Kankurdanga, you’ll find our little spot called Dharmaraj Ice Candy. We are located in the Hat Krishnanagar area of the Bankura district. It’s a very rural spot, so things move much slower here than they do in the big cities like Kolkata. We make simple ice candies that the local school kids and the farmers like to buy during their breaks. Most of our work is done by hand or with a few very simple machines that we've had for a long time. I’ve lived in this village my whole life, so I know almost every single person who comes to my door. During the harvest season, we get very busy because people working out in the fields need something cold to help them cool down in the heat. We use a small bicycle cart sometimes to take our candies to the nearby markets when there's a festival. The electricity can be a bit unreliable in this part of Bankura, so we have to be very careful with our cooling boxes. If the power goes out for too long, we stand to lose all of our stock. It’s a bit of a risky business in that specific way. My son helps me out when he isn't busy with his schoolwork. We aren't looking to grow this into a big company. We just like providing something small and sweet for the people here. It's a quiet life. Usually, people just knock on the side window when they want something.