Shivam Bhojnalaya

Running Shivam Bhojnalaya keeps us on our feet from sunrise until long after the sun goes down. We are located over at 119/36 in Gumti No 5, right near Himanchal Talkies. If you know Kanpur, you know how busy this area gets. Nasima Bad and Darshan Purwa are always full of people moving around. Our kitchen is small but we make it work. Every morning the vegetables come in fresh and we start chopping right away. The smell of spices fills up the room before ten o'clock. It’s a bit loud in here sometimes because of the traffic outside and the sound of pans hitting the stove. We don't have fancy chairs or expensive decorations. It’s just wooden tables and a lot of hungry people who want a hot meal without waiting too long. My brother helps with the accounts while I stay in the back making sure the dal and rotis are ready. Sometimes the stove acts up or we run out of gas in the middle of a rush, but that's just how things go. We've been in this spot for years and the locals know us by face. The walk from the talkies brings in a few new faces every now and then. It’s simple work, really. Just cooking and cleaning and making sure everyone leaves with a full stomach. It gets tiring, especially in the heat, but it’s what we do to keep the place going every single day.