“I’ve been selling bhel at this same spot in Tank Bund for almost 30 years now.
Same cart. Same recipe. Murmura, onions, chillies, lemon, chana, peanuts. That’s it. People say the taste hasn’t changed. Some stop by after work, some just come to talk. Few even say, ‘We come here only for your bhel.’ I don’t need anything more than that.

When I started, it was ₹2 a plate. Now it’s ₹20. Rent went up. Prices went up. But I stayed.

I’m from a village called Palakurthi in Jangaon. We had five acres—cotton and paddy. I worked on that land and raised my two sons. I didn’t study much, but I made sure they did. Now they run their own transport business. They tell me to rest. But I can’t sit at home. I still go back during harvest time—being on the farm gives me peace.

I’ve never used a smartphone. I don’t know how, and I’ve never felt the need. I meet people every day, talk to them face to face. That’s enough for me.

This cart is my life. As long as I can stand, I’ll keep working. One plate at a time.”

— Ram Chandrayya, Bhelwala at Tank Bund