Baba Da Dhaba To Parvathy Amma, 5 Street Vendors That Went Viral This Pandemic

by Sanjana Shenoy
Baba Da Dhaba To Parvathy Amma, 5 Street Vendors That Went Viral This Pandemic

The humane side of humanity gets often overlooked in the coronavirus chaos surrounding us at the moment. But sometimes, rays of warmth and hope shine across the cloudy skies and reminds us that good people continue to help each other. Nowadays when social media is rife with influencers and whatnot, we often forget the immensely powerful tool that we have in our hands to change lives. Here are a few instances where 5 street vendors from across India went viral on social media which changed their lives for the better.

1. Baba Da Dhaba In Delhi

80-year-old Kanta Prasad of Baba Ka Dhaba never imagined how a single video might change his life. In the video, Kanta Prasad showed utensils containing dal, soya curry and other dishes. When the interviewed enquired about his earnings, he picked up a thin bundle of ₹10 notes and said that’s all he earned. Kanta Prasad and his wife sadly mentioned that they did not make more than ₹80 in a day. The person who made the video promised to help them. And the video went viral and garnered over 80,000 views. Several celebrities and political leaders commended the video. The campaign became a huge success with #BabaKaDhaba and #Malviya Nagar trending on Twitter. Several people went to Baba Ka Dhaba to eat their famous Matar Paneer and support this local Delhi eatery.  The elderly couple’s happy faces shared a glimpse of their catharsis.

Picture Credits: freepressjournal.com

Also Read: 5 Ways To Help Street Vendors Recover From The Massive Losses Of The Pandemic

2. Parvathy Amma In Kerala

Parvathy Amma from Kerala took to social media to share awareness about her homely dhaba which was famous for the ₹50 meals. The 80-year-old lady’s infectious smile and demeanour won everyone’s hearts as she appealed Keralites to feast on her meals. Parvathy Amma owns a small Dhaba near Meenvellam falls in Palakkad district of Kerala. The pandemic put a stop to her busy dhaba. Journalist Aasif Shah visited the restaurant and took her video to create awareness of her issues.  In the video, Parvathy Amma, informed everyone about her meals, the dishes she serves and its prices. She also sweetly exclaimed that her loyal customers always prefers to eat the meals cooked by her instead of her staff. This video garnered over 41,000 views, 1500 reactions and hundreds of comments. Keralites came together to help this talented cook revive her stall.

https://twitter.com/aarifshaah/status/1314999803542036486?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1315207629422039041%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatimes.com%2Ftrending%2Fhuman-interest%2Fparvathy-amma-kerala-baba-ka-dhaba-525014.html

Also Read: Top 8 Street Foods In Kolkata To Die For

3. Chhanga Lal Baba In Faridabad

Who doesn’t like Bhel Puri? Duh! But what makes it even more special are the experienced hands of the seller. That is why Faridabad’s 86-year-old Chhanga Lal Baba, is well known in his locality for his Chalta Firta Chana Bhelpuri Shop. This man has a tragic family life where he lost his wife and younger son. Also, his older son is paralysed. Vishal Chaubey shared a video of Chhanga Lal Baba, whose business suffered drastically due to the pandemic. Despite the risk to his health, he continues to work hard every day to feed his family. His video went viral on social media. Help poured in from all over the country. Food blogger Sukrit, aka The Great Indian Foodie, handed over ₹57,000 to Chhanga Baba.  The food blogger collected donations to help the vendor. Chhanga Lal Baba thanked everyone for helping him. He said he will use this money to pay his grandchildren’s school fees.

Picture Credits: Indiatimes

Also Read: MasterChef Australia Judge Makes Australians Fall In Love With Regional Indian Food

4. Sajana Shaji In Kerala

When Sajana Shaji, a transwoman in Kerala, started her own roadside biryani business, she faced undaunting opposition from the nearby shopkeepers. To tackle the issue, she took to Facebook to share this ordeal. And with the power of social media, from Malayali celebrities to the state’s health minister all came to her rescue. Shaji posted a 4-minute live video on Facebook in which she cried as she described how she started a street stall to sell biryani and then faced harassment by locals. She received a lot of support after she posted the video seeking help. A person who would sell packed biryani and meals for a living is now all set to open her own eatery thanks to the overwhelming support.  Even Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja offered help and financial assistance. Sajana Shaji is now on the hunt for a location in Kochi. And she is confident to find a space for her eatery soon. The social media love and support left her grateful and happy.

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Also Read: Order Street Food Online & Get It Delivered At Your Door Step Soon Just Like Restaurants

5. Matki Bhel Couple In Pune

An elderly Pune couple who sold Chivda Matki Bhel for ₹20 on Satara Road asked for support through social media, their prayers were answered. Netizens flooded the picture of the couple posted by Yogesh Kulkarni on his Twitter handle of the couple selling matki bhel. He put out a caption titled “Just like Delhi’s Baba ka Dhaba, here is another couple serving one of the best matki bhel only for ₹20. A setup with just minimum materials including their dabbas of farsan and sev.” Help, love and support poured out in large numbers for them. Punekars visited this stall and gorged on their sumptuous Chivda Matki Bhel for ₹20 on Satara Road.

Wel foodies! This is our list of some of the street vendors who received lots of love and support from social media amid this pandemic. While it’s lovely to continue supporting them, do help the street vendors in your area. And spread happiness and warmth across.