Cuttack: Raghu, a famous Dahibara Aloodum vendor in Cuttack, has held his ground in terms of customers despite several hurdles and challenges in a career spanning over six decades.
At 79, Raghu is always dressed in the traditional dhoti–kurta attire. He is a self-made entrepreneur who is humble, disciplined and hard-working. In a brief interaction with Orissa POST, he threw light on his interesting journey.
He said, “I am selling Dahibara for the past six decades. Earlier, I use to sell them near Barabati Stadium. Later, my fellow vendors became envious as customers preferred me. They tried pinning false allegations of black magic against me for which I had to suffer a lot despite being innocent. I decided to shift here to start from scratch again.”
However, he had the last laugh as customers began searching for his stall near near Barabati Stadium. When they found his new location, they thronged the place as it was his product that they wanted the most. They ignored all the false allegations that were leveled against them.
Currently his son has taken up the whole business. He said, “I have learnt making Dahibara from my father. The stuff we make is quite good which attracts foodies from far and wide. People come all the way from Bhubaneswar and Naraj to savour my father’s special Dahibara and aloodum. We were extremely happy and privileged when we got the chance to participate in Odisha Parba held in New Delhi and were able to book the first prize.”
Binay Kumar Behera, a law student and a regular customer said, “I love Raghu’s Dahibara as it is one of the best dishes to savour anytime. I have been a regular customer of his since the last seven years and I usually come with my friends in the evening.”
Another customer Trilochan Parija said, “I love the taste and quality of Raghu’s Dahibara. I suggest all my friends to try it.”
Raghu’s story is a testament to the fact that undying spirit can take anyone places. His hard work, generosity and dedication have made him win the hearts of many foodies in the silver city. For Katkis, he is not just a Dahibara Aloodum seller, he is a celebrity.
Yasmine Lenka, OP