Utkal Flour Mill

Utkal Flour Mill has been a part of the Modi Para neighborhood for quite some time. We are right near the Jagarnath Temple, so we hear the bells ringing throughout the day. The building is old and the walls are stained with fine white dust from the grain. That is just part of the business. Every morning starts with the sound of the machines starting up, which is pretty loud. My brother and I take turns watching the grinders to make sure everything is running okay. We get a lot of people from the nearby houses bringing in their own grain to get it milled. It is a dusty job and our clothes are always covered in flour by lunchtime. The shop isn't much to look at, just a few stools and the big machinery in the back. Sometimes the line gets long and people stand out on the street chatting while they wait. We don’t have a website or anything like that. People just know we are here because of the noise and the smell of fresh grain. The floor is always a bit slippery from the spilled husks, so we have to be careful. It’s hard work and the heat from the machines makes it sweatier in the summer months. We just focus on keeping the mill going and making sure the bags are filled right.