Shivshakti Chana Bhandar

Shivshakti Chana Bhandar is located in Ghatkopar West. We are in a chawl area, specifically near Darsan Chawl and Doctor Chawl. It is a very busy neighborhood with a lot of people living close together. Our shop is where we roast the chana and other snacks. We have these large iron pans that stay hot for most of the day. The smell of roasted chickpeas is very strong and you can usually smell it from the end of the lane. We spend our time scooping the chana into small paper packets or weighing them out for people who want more. The shop is small and can get very hot because of the roasting fires. We have sacks of raw gram stacked against the walls. The floor is made of old stone and it has gotten smooth over the years. We see the same neighbors every single day, and they often stop by just to say hello while they are on their way to the market. There is a lot of chatter in the chawl, with kids running around and people hanging out their laundry. We do not have any big machines, just the traditional pans and our hands. It is a simple way to make a living, and we have been doing it this way for a long time. We just focus on getting the roasting right so the chana is crunchy and not burnt. It is what we know how to do best.