“Some people tell me, ‘We come to Tank Bund just for your bhel.’ When I hear that, my whole day feels worth it.

For nearly 30 years, I’ve been standing beside the Veeresalingam statue at Tank Bund, mixing bhel the same way I always have — crisp murmura, fresh onions, green chillies, boiled chana, peanuts, lemon, and just the right masala. No measurements, no shortcuts. Only experience.

Over the years, thousands of people have stopped at my cart. Office workers on their way home, college students sharing one plate, families out for an evening walk. Some come for the taste, some come just to talk for a few minutes. Many of them have grown older in front of my eyes, and so have I.

When I first started, one plate cost just ₹2. Today it’s ₹20 or ₹30. Prices changed, the city changed, Tank Bund changed… but my cart stayed in the same place.

I’m originally from Palakurthi in Jangaon district. Back home, we had five acres of cotton and paddy fields. Farming was my first life. Even now, during harvest season, I go back to the village and work on the land. The smell of soil, the early mornings, the feeling of standing in the fields… those things never leave a farmer.

I couldn’t study much, but I worked hard to educate my two sons. Today, they run their own goods trolley and services business. They often tell me, “Nanna, enough now. Take rest.” But I don’t know how to sit at home doing nothing.

I’ve never used a smartphone. I don’t know much about apps or online payments. What I understand is people. A small conversation, a familiar face returning after years, someone remembering my taste — that is enough happiness for me.

As long as my legs support me, I’ll keep coming here every morning with my cart. Because this work is not just about selling bhel anymore.

It became my life.”

— Ram Chandrayya, Tank Bund Bhelwala