Navdurga Masale

You can find us over at Sukhda Housing Society in the Sanjay Nagar area. We run Navdurga Masale out of a bungalow there. It’s not your typical factory or warehouse setting since it’s in a residential neighborhood. This means we have to be careful about not making too much noise early in the morning. Most of the people working here are just folks from the nearby houses. We do a lot of the work by hand, especially the sorting. It feels more like a kitchen than an office most days. The place gets pretty crowded with sacks of ingredients, so you have to watch your step. We don't have a big sign out front, just the bungalow number and the name. People usually find us by the smell of the chillies or the sound of the mixer going. It’s a small operation, so everyone does a bit of everything. One person might be cleaning the floor and then ten minutes later they are weighing out packets. We don't have titles or fancy roles. We just get the masale ready for the customers who have been buying from us for years. It's a simple way to make a living. Sometimes we sit out on the porch during lunch and just watch the street. It’s a nice enough place to spend the day working with family and friends. We just keep our heads down and stay busy.