I am 60 years old. I started making beedas 35 years ago. My father had a dry cleaning unit, which ran into loss and I went to Bombay as a young boy to earn. I learnt making beedas from a Seth there. Everyday, I cycle from my home at Subramaniapuram to Tallakulam, where my stall is open from 12p.m. to 5.30 p.m. The area is dotted with numerous eateries. Usually, people after having a heavy non-veg meal, come to my stall for the beeda as it helps in digestion. I sell at Rs.15 a piece. On an average, I make Rs.6,000 per month, selling 20 to 30 beedas a day. I have two daughters. The elder one is married off, while the younger one is in college. My wife is a home-maker.
I source the Calcutta betel leaves from a Marwari shop on Town hall Road because the leaves are bigger and tastier. Beeda is a mix of sunnambu, Kattha , dried Papaya, jamjam, Gulkand, Supari and special sweet chutney. Spices like fennel seeds, cloves and elaichi are also added to pep up the flavour and taste. All these items I get from Kanpur, famous for its beedas. Some beeda makers also add tutty-fruity to the mixture. Much depends on the customer’s choice of taste too. Though the simple plain beeda is known to help in digestion, only few people prefer it these days.
(A fortnightly column on men and women who make Madurai what it is)
