Mahavir Rice Mill

The Main Road in Devigarh is where you’ll find us. Mahavir Rice Mill has been here for a good while, and if you know this part of Patiala, you know how busy it gets. We spend our mornings looking at grain and checking the moisture. It gets pretty loud once the machines are running, and there’s always a bit of dust in the air. Most of us have worked here long enough to know the sound of every motor. We don’t do anything fancy, just keep the lines moving and stack the bags in the back. My dad used to tell me that if you handle the rice properly, it shows, so that’s all we focus on. Sometimes the power goes out, and we just sit around drinking tea and watching the tractors go by outside. It isn't a glamorous job, but it’s what we do. People in Devigarh know where we are. We’ve seen the town change quite a bit over the years. The road out front used to be much smaller. Now there is always traffic and someone honking. We start early, usually when it's still dark, and we stay until the work is finished for the day. It’s hard work on the back, lifting those heavy sacks, but you get used to it. We just keep our heads down and get the milling done. It’s a simple routine, day in and day out, and we like it that way. We don’t need much else to keep us busy.