Sat Guru Shudh Bhojnalya

Our shop is number 23 in Kalyan Nagar, located on Garh Road in Meerut. We sit right opposite the Garh bus stand, so there’s always a lot of movement around us. People are constantly running for buses or getting off with their bags. We see a lot of travelers who just want a place to sit for thirty minutes before their next trip. The bhojnalya is a simple room with several rows of wooden tables. We keep the water pitchers filled and the salt shakers on the tables. The kitchen is tucked in the back and you can usually hear the sound of the pans clanking. We start our day by boiling large vats of lentils and getting the dough ready. It’s repetitive work, but it’s what we do. The floor is tiled and we scrub it every night after the last customer leaves. It’s often quite warm inside because of the steam from the cooking, but the door stays open to let in the breeze from the street. We don't have a menu with pictures or anything, just a list on the wall sometimes. Most people who come in already know what they want anyway. We just serve it up and keep the line moving. It’s a busy spot, especially on weekends when the bus stand is packed with families traveling back home.