Mahaprabhu Rice Mill

If you ever walk through Bara Bazar in Bardhaman, you know how crowded it gets, especially near the bus stop. That is where Mahaprabhu Rice Mill is tucked away. It’s been in the same spot for quite some time. The building isn't much to look at from the outside, just old bricks and the sound of machines humming all day long. We spend most of our time dealing with the local farmers who bring in their harvest. The air inside is always thick with the smell of dry husk and grain. It gets all over your clothes by noon. My family has been doing this for a couple of generations, so we know most of the people who come through the door by name. It’s not an easy job, keeping those old machines running without too much trouble, but we know how to fix them when they act up. Sometimes the traffic by the station makes it hard for the grain carts to get close, so there is a lot of shouting and moving things by hand. We don't really do any big advertising. People just know we are here because of the noise and the piles of sacks waiting to be picked up. It is a simple life, focused on the seasons and the price of paddy in the market. We just keep our heads down and work because that is what we know.