Siddhivinayak Jaggery

Out here in Post Murud, things move a bit slower than in the city. Siddhivinayak Jaggery is based in the Latur district, specifically Taluka Latur. You can smell the sweetness in the air when the processing is going on. It’s a very specific scent that sticks to your clothes. We work with the local crops. The building is simple, mostly just space for the vats and the cooling trays. We don't have a lot of fancy machinery, mostly just the basics that get the job done. It gets very hot near the boiling pans. We spend our days watching the consistency and making sure it sets right. Latur can be dry, so we're always looking at the weather. Most of the people working here are from nearby villages. We know everyone’s name. It’s not the kind of place with a lobby or a receptionist. You just walk in and find someone in the back. The floors are usually a bit sticky, but that's expected. We pack the blocks and get them ready for transport. It’s honest work that involves a lot of heat and heavy lifting. We stay busy during the season and then things quiet down. It’s just how life goes in Murud. We don't change much from year to year. It's just the way the jaggery business works in this part of the country.