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When the mercury is rising and
you want to escape the heat, head
for Ambika Rasvanti Griha
"Mota ki Chota?" Tanaji
Damodar asks, as you settle
down on a bench in Ambika
Rasvanti Griha - so, would
you like to have a big glass or a
medium size glass of Ganna Ras?
And as an ever-smiling Tanaji invites
you to have a glass, Ananth Garud,
reaching out for a second helping
recommends, "Have a Mota glass,
it is very good for health".
Ananth has been having his glass of
Ras every time he passed by
Ambika Rasvanti Griha
for the last 25 years. For him, this
place is one of the "clean,
hygienic and the best in Pune. And
of course, it is so nice to talk to
Tanaji."
Located near Chaturshringi Temple
on the Senapati Bapat Road,
Ambika Rasvanti Griha started
off as a small sugarcane jui ce
joint, way back in 1975. "As
the financial condition back home
was difficult, I came to Pune from
my village Kalyan in search of a job.
I worked at Finolex for a while
and later one of my friends helped
me to buy a hand driven sugarcane
juice machine. Soon my brother Kailash
came over to give me a hand. Later
I could afford to buy an electric
machine. And here we are."
narrates Tanaji.
What makes the Ras so tasty here?
"Unlike others, we are very
choosy about the sugarcane. We never
compromise on taste or quality. We
use the sugarcane from our own fields
or the ones from the people whom we
know" explains Kailash proudly.
"And I make lots of variations
for people with all sorts of tastes,
like for example if somebody wants
"Strong Ras", I put
extra ginger. I put extra lime for
people who want the Ras to taste like
Lemonade! And I put the right amount
of ice for people who like it just
cool or super chilled. Each, according
to their own taste",
Tanaji smilingly reveals the secret
of why people are drawn to his joint.
Interestingly, the people who enjoy
their drink here are an eclectic mixture.
Teddy, an Ethiopian student
studying at Symbiosis has been
a regular here for the last four years.
"This stuff is good man. Earlier
I used to drink only Pepsi, but now
it's fifty-fifty with Tanaji's
Ganna Ras. I play football everyday,
and I drink two Mota glasses before
the game and two after. Once I even
drank six glasses at one go. This
is really a good thing man!"
Teddy's admiration goes further.
"Unfortunately, we
don't get sugar cane juice in Ethiopia.
But when I go back to my country,
I will take back a juice machine from
India. I am going to start a Rasvanti
Griha there."
So does anybody hold record for gulping
the maximum number of glasses? "11
Mota glasses", beams
Tanaji happily. "One chap
liked the juice so much that he just
couldn't stop himself"
As this place is open for most of
the year, one wonders when does Tanaji
get a time off: "On an average
at least a hundred people come to
have Ras here everyday and the numbers
go unto three to four hundred in the
summer. That means I have to stay
here fulltime. I go to my village
once a fortnight to spend time with
my family." Tanaji
explains. "And every June
we close the shop and spend about
three weeks on Pandharpur Yatra
as Warkari's. I have been
doing that for the last 20 years without
a break." About his
family he says, "I want my
children to get proper education,
something I had missed because of
my difficult conditions."
And what is Tanaji's secret of a
happy and smiling face?
"By gods grace, all my basic
needs are met, I don't want to run
after money. I love to serve people.
And that's why people are so affectionate
to me. What matters finally is the
satisfaction of people who come here
and they come back again and again.
That's what makes me happy".
No wonder so many people from even
far off places like Pimpri and
Chinchwad go out of their way
to drop in at Ambika Rasvanti
Griha. So when the mercury
is rising and you want to escape the
heat, you now know where to head for
a cool sip. Anytime.
Address: Ambika
Rasvanti Griha,
Near Chaturshringi Temple,
Opposite Indraprasta Marriage Hall,
Senapati Bapat Road
Pune
Text and Photographs: Harikrishna
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