What if in this world, where ₹100 is a small amount to fulfil your glutton, you get tasty mouthwatering Idli to eat in just ₹1? Yes, got shocked? Are you drooling? No worries. Let’s get into the “Journey of Paatima aka M.Kamalathal.”
Cooking is the way to get into different emotions of people; many take it as a job, while others, take it as a responsibility. The 82-year-old M. Kamalathal from Vadivelampalayam, on the outskirt of Coimbatore, for whom cooking is not just a passion, but a way of showing and spreading love and peace in this hustles full life. She cooks delicious Idli and has been doing this job for the past 30 years.
However, the tempting part about her job is that she serves these delicious hot steaming idlis at just ₹1 each – a price that she hasn’t changed in the past 10 years. The old lady does everything on her own, accompanied by her granddaughter-in-law, named P. Aarthi.
The daily routine of Paatima
She wakes up early morning around 5 am and starts preparing the batter for the Idli with eight kg of rice. Along with these Idli’s, she serves chutney which is made using a grinding stone in the traditional way. She opens her stall at 6 am, and shutting down depends upon how long the batter lasts. Customers who are a fan of Paatima’s Idli start arriving from 7 am, and she starts cooking in her traditional idli vessels on an earthen stove using the firewood.
Changing Journey
For every good deed, karma pays off. In the same way, the things changed for her when Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra Group, saw a video about her and used twitter to fame the lady and her dedication. This led to Kamalathal becoming an overnight sensation on the internet. This fame didn’t stop here only, the tweet went viral and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Coimbatore provided Kamalathal with a free LPG connection for her immense love and dedication. This news received much praise from across Twitter, including Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gases Dharmendra Pradhan, who tweeted, “Salute the spirit and commitment of Kamalathal. Glad to have helped her through local OMC officers in getting LPG connection. Society must empower such hard-working people who defy all odds.”
@BPCLCoimbatore is pleased to inform that we have issued @Bharatgas LPG connection to Ms. Kamalam.@revellid @PeethambarantT @ISrinivasRao2 @Dhanapals6 @BPCLLPG pic.twitter.com/p3mzfVhWP4
— Bharatgas_Coimbatore (@BPCLCoimbatore) September 11, 2019
The beauty of this universe lies around us; all we need is beautiful eyes to see it. What we want to see in this world depends on us, Kamalathal recognises the peace in Idli, and this peaceful dedication gives the necessary equipment for her need. She didn’t beat the drum of unemployment or being uneducated. Instead, she finds a way not to let her poor conditions drown her. We all should learn from her and do something which can enrich us as well as the lives of others.
The Hindu had taken the initiative to feature her and bring the story of this real-life hero in the limelight. She is an inspiration and role model for the young generation.
