Ariyammal Rice Mill

Ariyammal Rice Mill is situated at 325 Bangalore Road, right across from the Raja Theatre. It’s a busy stretch of road, and you can’t really miss the theatre, which helps people find us. The mill itself is a noisy place when the machines are running, but we’ve grown used to the hum and the clatter over the years. There is always a fine layer of dust on everything, no matter how much we sweep. That’s just the nature of working with rice. We spend our days unloading trucks and watching the grain go through the processing. It’s heavy, physical work, and our clothes usually end up covered in husk by the end of the shift. The front of the mill has a small area where we handle the sales and talk to customers who come by. It’s not a fancy office, just some chairs and a sturdy table. We see a lot of people coming and going because of the location on the main road. When the cinema has a big movie playing, the traffic outside gets even crazier than usual. We just stay focused on the work inside. Sometimes we sit outside on the steps during our break to watch the crowds at the theatre. It’s a simple life, centered around the seasons and the harvest. We don't use any modern marketing, just the sign above the door and the word of mouth from people in town.