Empowerment of Women in Modern India

“Maavan Thandiyan Chaavan” is a saying in Punjabi which translates to - “Mothers in our lives, are like the cool shade of a tree”.
I have been learning5 a lot more about the “Power of Mothers” in Modern India, spending time with group of mothers who make lentil dough, roll and dry papads, which we call pappadums in the West. The journey of these papads is long and comforting as it lands in my kitchens in New York and around the World.

When I was growing up in India, we only had one channel "Doordarshan", and I waited for the advertisement of "Lijjat Papad". Times begin to change and from black and white screens we moved to colored ones and the gray bunny used in those ads became visibly pink. I loved the jingle and the idea of a papad brand. Little did I know then that Lijjat Papad was started with less than $2 in 1959 with one vision, to empower women.
At that time I did not have any idea that those packets were impacting lives of thousands of women and their families.
It was commendable to see these women work effortlessly to fulfill their pledge to make sure that they provide us with utmost quality of papads and great lives to their children. Once the papads are sun dried on the back of the cane baskets, they are stacked and packed. Later they are collected by Lijjat.
The production from all over India is gathered at one central office where it is checked for quality, packed, transported to various depots and distributors.
Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad empowers women and creates jobs for thousands of women who roll out papads sitting at their homes and drying them in the sun.

I feel blessed to share such great moments with them and of course great Papad (now a symbol of motherhood and cool shades of affection and care)
You can learn more about Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shri_Mahila_Griha_Udyog_Lijjat_Papad