Maths-teacher-turned-baker makes Sri Lankan buns and rolls in Chennai

When Paramanathan Ravichandran archetypal arrived successful Chennai 15 years ago, helium had nary thought what helium would bash for survival. He was among the thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils fleeing the civilian war, hoping to restart beingness successful a caller country. “I walked aimlessly astir the streets of Koyambedu for 3 days,” helium says. He noticed the galore beverage stalls that dotted the neighbourhood. This is erstwhile an thought struck him.

Such establishments backmost location did brisk concern with rolls — deep-fried golden-brown parcels of dough stuffed with chicken, eggs, and potatoes. To experiment, helium decided to marque a tiny batch of 30 rolls astatine his rented location successful Porur with the assistance of his aunt Ragini and woman Dharuga. He began distributing them to shops successful the neighbourhood, asking if they would beryllium funny successful selling this lukewarm snack. “Some owners were benignant and unfastened to the caller item,” recalls the 51-year-old, speaking of however helium walked the magnitude of the beverage store enactment for his business.

Gradually, the orders came piling successful for each the varieties — chicken, egg, fish, and vegetable. Today, seated by the beforehand steps of his task KP Ravi Bakery tucked successful a tiny lane astatine Alapakkam adjacent Porur, helium recalls the sweat and tears that went into mounting up his business. This tiny portion with an oven lone has abstraction for 2 radical to stand. It is Ravi’s individuality successful a caller land; 1 that is not excessively acold away. One that helium has carved retired with difficulty.

Adding up

Ravi came to India with thing but 2 sets of clothes. He is from the colony of Thennamaravadi that is astir 65 kilometres North of Trincomalee. Back home, helium was a Maths teacher. “My begetter K Paramanathan, the colony head, was a Maths teacher too,” helium recalls. Ravi, known arsenic ‘Ravi sir’ among schoolhouse students, was ever bully with numbers. After completing his Bachelor’s successful Mathematics, helium started his ain tuition centre successful Vavuniya and Mullaitivu, and was particularly skilled astatine handling people XII.

Life astatine Thennamaravadi, Ravi recalls, was peaceful. “In my boyhood, I would drawback prawns and crabs successful the backwaters that my parent would navigator fresh,” helium says. “My household had implicit 150 cows that would graze freely; we grew groundnuts, onions, and paddy.” But erstwhile the warfare broke out, the colony was wiped out, and on with it, Ravi’s household home, cultivation land, and a unchangeable vocation successful teaching.

In Chennai, helium knew it was not going to beryllium casual to commencement from scratch. Yet, his rolls did the talking. “I graduated to delivering orders connected a cycle, and aboriginal bought a scooter,” helium says. At 1 point, helium was making 2,000 rolls a time with a squad of 14, supplying to IT companies, schools, and colleges successful Navalur, Ambattur, and Kelambakkam, isolated from beverage shops in Parry’s, T Nagar, Mount Road, and Madipakkam. This is isolated from the railway canteens.

Learning to aquatics again

The floods of 2015 however, shook things up and Ravi incurred dense losses. Despite the stumbling blocks, helium kept astatine it, managing to past done the pandemic, adjacent adding paan, the celebrated Sri Lankan flatbread to the menu.

Today, it is among his best-sellers and Ravi says Sri Lankan Tamils from adjacent and acold scope retired to him to bargain the bread. He delivers paan at places arsenic acold arsenic Kundrathur connected his scooter, isolated from Anna Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, and Medavakkam successful the evenings.

Paan, priced astatine ₹55 a piece, is simply a brushed and flaky savoury breadstuff and is disposable successful 2 variations: roast and acchu. “We usually brace this fish, mutton, chickenhearted curry, oregon adjacent dal,” helium says. Ravi besides makes the addictive kombu bun, a long, brushed breadstuff with a sprinkling of sweetener connected top. He is present experimenting with the circular paan.

As beverage clip approaches, customers commencement trickling successful and by 6.30pm, a tiny assemblage has gathered astatine his shop, that is lone expanding successful number. Ravi’s telephone keeps ringing with orders and helium is briskly packing rolls and paan without looking up.  

Ravi’s woman and 14-year-old lad Kishan are present backmost location successful Thennamaravadi. He excessively hopes to spell back. “I privation to guarantee my concern tin tally connected its ain earlier I do,” helium says. “This volition instrumentality astir 3 years oregon so.” He does not cognize what helium volition bash erstwhile helium is backmost successful Sri Lanka. “Perhaps I tin instrumentality up teaching again,” helium says. “But earlier I leave, I privation to bargain a location successful Chennai.”

KP Ravi Bakery is located astatine MG Chakkrapani Nagar, 14th Street, Alapakkam. To spot orders, telephone 8344911555, 8148931500.