Maa Annapurna Chira Mill

Our mill is located in the village of Uttar Serampore. It’s in the Purba Burdwan district, under the Nadanghat police station. We make chira here, which is what most people call flattened rice in these parts. Being in a village, the pace is a bit different than the big city mills. We rely a lot on the local paddy harvests. The mill itself is an old building that has seen a lot of seasons. It’s dusty and noisy when the engines are running, but that’s the sound of work being done. We are a small team, mostly people from the village and nearby areas. We don't have a fancy office or a receptionist. If you come by, you’ll likely find us covered in a bit of grain dust. We spend our days soaking, parboiling, and then flattening the rice. It’s a process we’ve done a thousand times. We sell mostly to the local markets and traders who come with their trucks. We don't do much in terms of advertising. People know the mill is here because it’s been here for a long time. We just try to keep the machines in good shape so we don't have any downtime. It’s a simple life, focused on the grain and the seasons. We just keep working and hope the harvest is good every year. It takes a lot of patience to get the texture of the chira just right. This district is known for its rice, and we just fit in.