A FACE IN THE CROWD

                                              A Wandering Minstrel

A tea seller outside Ram Mandir, Laxmi Road.

A truly happy lady. She loves what she does and sends many  a woman with a happy smile on her face.

A Hindu Priest 

A Slice OF Heaven

As I cruised down busy MG Road a tantalizing smell tempted me to slow down. The aroma of freshly baked bread and buns, mixed with the crisp early morning air, made me lose my senses and take a sharp left turn, --oblivious of the steady stream of traffic flowing by--- and stop in front of  an innocuous looking blue  painted, tile roofed, rickety double storied building. The Royal Bakery is an institution which has withstood the ravages of time. 

It sells the famous Milko-Vita Bread. Hand wrapped in custom designed orange and white butter paper. These delicious breads, which promise to last for 100 hours and keep one fit for hundred years- are priced at a nominal Re. 10. No true blue Puneites breakfast would be complete without a slice of this delicious milky bread.

This humble bakery is also home to such delights like the charming little glass cakes, the wine cake, a variety of biscuits and the super scrumptious plum cake.

This quaint little establishment could be easily missed, had it not been for its pea green facade and wooden shutters which roll back to reveal a very homely interior. An antique glass topped cabinet and glass fronted cupboard houses the precious delights. We were served by a bespectacled, kindly looking gentle man, even as the previous owners of this Parsee establishment looked down munificently from their high garlanded perch on the walls.

An open doorway over which a picture of Ahura Mazda hangs, afforded me a peek into the way this grand old lady functioned. Busy workers rolled out dough on a huge wooden table.

The various delectable items sold in this bakery were still baked in a huge wood fired oven. Workers scooped out trays of freshly baked golden cakes and buns from the oven with long wooden paddles. The grey stone floors were stacked high with trays of delectable goodies.

Outside the bakery loyal customers crowded around for a loaf of the nutritious Milko-Vita bread or a rich plum cake. A visit to Royal Bakery has become a way of life for many Puneites.