KALABURAGI: Twenty-eight years ago, Mahadevi Nandikolmath was ready to end her life, tired of soul-crushing poverty. Thanks to the advice of a well-meaning seer, she decided to try again and now runs a rotti-making business with four branches.
Mahadevi today employs over 100 poor women including widows. Mahadevi, who is popularly known as Rotti Mahadevi, runs the Veerabhadreshwara Food Supplies at Shivaji Nagar, Bhavani Nagar, Ashraya Colony and Manikeshwari Colony.
Originally from Vijayapura, she was married at the age of 13 and settled down in Kalaburagi. Her husband and in-laws were poor and life was difficult, and she did not know how to make it better because she has had no schooling.
Mahadevi says that she planned to end her life, along with her two sons’, but before she acted on it she visited the Jidaga Mutt. She told the mutt’s pontiff, who she considers her guru, about her daily struggle and asked his blessing before deciding to end it all.
The pontiff replied: “Hinga sattar nee devva agati. Kelasa maadu, mandigi upakara maddu (If you end your life by committing suicide, you will become a devil. Go and do some work and help people).”
She decided to try again, and started going from house to house and preparing rottis for others. Mahadevi says, “My son and I started asking for kanti biksha (begging for alms, as a form of penance) and from the flour collected I prepared the bread for poor students, charging them only 50 paise for one. Social activist Tippanna Kamaknoor stepped in to help me financially and by asking other people to help me as well.”
After a few years, the students offered to give `1 per rotti, she says. Today, she has revised the prices upwards, but marginally — rotti at `3 a piece, bajra rotti and chappathi at `4 a piece and Senga Holige at `12 a piece.
Her son Mallikarjun has set out on his own but follows his mother’s example, in selling affordable food. He has set up a food cart, at Nehru Gunj, and serves a full thali for `40.Her rottis were earning fame but a personal tragedy struck. Her husband passed away, which was 13 years ago.
Mahadevi kept her business running and was now employing poor women, to help them earn their living. From employing one, she today employs more than a 100 including widows. Her team starts work at 5 am and work is done in two batches.
Across the three centres, they make 3,000 to 5,000 jowar rottis, about 2,000 bajra rottis, about 400 chapathis and about 100-150 senga holige. Every worker gets paid according to the number of rottis they make. She says that each would make at least `200 a day.
Apart from rottis, Mahadevi’s team also makes sengadahindi (groundnut chutney powder), agasihindi (flaxseed chutney powder) and gurellu chutney.She says that though there is a demand, she does not supply to hotels or other eateries. Mahadevi is particular about selling to individuals, and she also serves for weddings.