Jha Shiva Mill

Jha Shiva Mill is tucked away at No. 32 in Baiju Mandir Gali. This is in the Shivganga Muhalla of Deoghar, which is a very old and spiritual part of the city. You can hear the temple bells from our door almost every hour. The mill itself is a noisy place, with the sound of the grinding stones going for most of the day. There is always a fine layer of flour dust on the floor and the shelves, which is just part of the job. People come down the narrow gali with sacks of grain on their shoulders or on the back of a cycle. It’s a tight squeeze in the street sometimes, especially during the festival seasons when Deoghar is full of pilgrims from all over. We’ve been in this same spot for a long time. The building is old, with thick walls that stay somewhat cool even in the summer heat. We don't have any fancy computers for billing, we just write everything down in the book and give people their change from a wooden drawer. It’s a very local business. We know the families who have been coming to us for years. There isn't any "corporate strategy" here, just the mill running and the grain being processed for the locals. When the power goes out, we take a break and sit on the steps of the gali to watch the world go by. It’s a simple way to live and work in this part of town.