City - Bombay (Now, Mumbai) State - MAHARASHTRA Country - India
About
Selling 'bhel', a mouthwatering mixture of 'dal' (lentils), peas, 'kurmura' (popped rice grains) and a spicy and sweet n' tangy chutney, this man is able to make upto Rs200 per day. It is one of the most profitable hawker professions in Bombay and profits can rise as high as 300 per cent on an average day. During a visit to south Bombay, I chatted up with a 'bhelwala' who told me he'd make somewhere between Rs 8,500 - 9,000 a month on an average. These men strut gleefully carrying their stuff in fancily dressed baskets, like the one in the picture and attract attention by crying out in a shrill voice. 'Harder the shout, larger the crowd' would fit in most appropriately as their mantra. Customers eat out of a paper cone, like the one he's holding in his right hand. Tantalisingly tasty and you feel you can't get enough, like Bombay, but beware from who you buy the mixture. It's one of the main reasons for tummy upsets in the city. Especially, if you like it spicy