Chennai, May 9(BPNS)
The 85-year-old K. KamalthaL of Coimbatore is a sensation on internet, thanks to the I rupee Idli she serves people and is fondly known by the name ‘Idli Patti’ or ‘Idli Grandmother’ . No wonder, chairman of Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra found it fit to construct and donate a home to her.
Mahindra group has handed over a 300 square feet house with a single bath attached bedroom, a living room, and a dining hall at Vadivelampalayam in the outskirts of Coimbatore on Mothers Day to the octogenarian.
Kamalthal while speaking to BPNS said, “ I am really excited at the act by Anand Mahindra Sir. He had earlier also helped me by providing with a gas stove and a grinder when my story of cooking using firewood had gained his attention. I will now commence serving Idli from the new home from the Tamil month of Vaikasi”.
Idli Patti was selling Idli at 25 paise per piece when she started it and hiked to 50 paise and now Idlis are sold at Rs 1 per piece.
Kamalthal said, “ I will not hike the price of Idli henceforth and till my last breath I will sell them at Rs 1 per piece from this home. I think I can sell Idlis for the next ten years from the comfort of a good home now on.”
Anand Mahindra in a tweet said, “ Immense gratitude to our team for completing the construction of the house in time to gift ‘Idli Amma on #MothersDay. She is the embodiment of a mother’s virtues: nurturing, caring &selfless. A privilege to be able to support her &her work.”
The Mahindra group had promised to build a home for her when the story of her selling Idli’s at Rs 1 even during the Covid -19 crisis was reported and bought 1.75 cents of land at Vadivelampalayam in April 2021 and commenced construction in February 2022. The company had registered the land in Kamalthal’s name.
Vijayakumar, a resident of Vadivelampalayam and a retired employee with Tamil Nadu state road transport corporation while speaking to BPNS said, “I have seen her sweltering in the heat of the fire stove and still she relentlessly went on to sell Idli’s at 25 paise per piece and then after some years hiked it to 50 paise per piece and for the past several years she is selling Idli’s at Rupees 1 per piece. It is a unique Idli and she has customers from all around. During Covid -19 crisis, she fed several people including guest workers without taking any single rupee and received high appreciation from the society.”
