Mira Mashla

Mira Mashla is our little business in Mahendratola, Malda. We are right in the Janakiramtola area near Manickchak. What we do is mostly about spices. We buy the raw stuff, clean it, and then grind it up. It makes everyone in the shop sneeze because the pepper and chili powder get into the air. My clothes always smell like cumin and turmeric by the time I go home. It is a small family operation. We have a couple of machines that make a lot of noise when they are running. We try to get everything done before the sun goes down because the light in here isn't very good. People from the village come to buy small packets for their cooking. We don't have fancy packaging, just clear bags we tie up ourselves. It takes a long time to weigh everything out correctly on the old scale. My hands are usually stained yellow from the turmeric, and it doesn't wash off easily. We have lived in this part of Malda for generations, so we know exactly what the local families like to use in their food. It is hard work and the dust is everywhere, but it is what we do. We don't have a website or a big office. Just the grinding room and the storage space in the back. It’s a simple life and we are used to it.