Purvi Sanghvi

Jai Ambe Shing chana

I have noticed that you will usually find a Shing chana shop near a railway station in Mumbai. Jai Ambe is near the Vile Parle west station.
I have been buying peanuts from this shop since I can ever remember. My mother also remembers buying Shing/peanuts, chana,rice flakes, rice puffs from this same shop since she can remember 🙂

Since the last few weeks I have found myself enjoying my evening tea with peanuts and chana instead of potato wafers or biscuits.

Balchand  Gupta weighing  my buy

The last time I went to buy to restock the peanuts and chana, on impulse I asked the man about his shop. He was eager to share the information and seemed proud to be the third generation running the business.His name is Balchand Gupta. The shop was started by his grandfather Umrao Gupta.
When I said that Umrao is a female name, so he said in those days, it didn’t matter and same names were used to name female and male children.

Mr Balchand Gupta seemed to be in his early 60’s.
When I asked him when the business was started, he said he thinks it must be around 90 years now!
In this age where small businesses crop up fast and shutdown faster, this small hut like shop has weathered and survived for 90 years!

In the picture you will see a door on the left through which you can see the part of the house.

Balchand has 4 daughters and one son. Son is 12 yrs old.
I have seen the daughters working in the shop sometimes and sometimes the young boys of the family as well.

I remember few years or maybe several years back, the family used to live behind the shop. When I asked him where he lives, he said he still lives behind the shop but now the family has moved to Bhayander and they come to visit once or twice a week.