V M Amirthathammal Rice Mill

Over here on Thiruvanathapillai Street in Avaniapuram, life moves at its own pace. Our rice mill, V M Amirthathammal Rice Mill, is right at number 2, and it’s been a fixture of the neighborhood for quite some time. You can hear the hum of the hulling machines from the street, and there’s usually a bit of chaff flying around when the wind picks up. It’s a local operation, so we know most of the people who walk by or drop in. The building itself is older, with high ceilings and thick walls that try their best to keep the Madurai heat out, though they don't always succeed. We spend our mornings checking the paddy and making sure the milling process is going smoothly. It’s physical work, and our hands are usually rough from handling the sacks and the machinery. There isn't much in the way of a fancy lobby here. Just a simple desk where we keep our ledgers and a few chairs for when someone stops by to talk business or just share some news. We don't have a big marketing team or anything like that. We just rely on the fact that people know where we are and what we do. The street can get a bit crowded with carts and bikes, but that’s just part of being in Avaniapuram. We’ve stayed here because it’s home, and running the mill is what our family has always done to get by.