I belong to a city renowned for its blue walls, towering forts, and history adorned with the blood of bravehearts. You guessed it right — overlooking desert sunsets, it’s Jodhpur, the ‘Blue City’. Yet, beyond the aesthetic blue homes and royal heritage, the people of Jodhpur are celebrated for their tradition of manuhar or manwar. This term, which literally translates to ‘coaxing’, culturally signifies the utmost reverence extended to guests and loved ones, especially when it comes to feeding them.
Today, we take you inside one such business that exemplifies this hospitality through its products. ‘Marwadi Manwar’ is taking the authentic flavours of Rajasthan to the rest of India and beyond with their delicious homemade pickles, papads, and other traditional delicacies.
While the business is touching new heights by the day, we have a catch here. At the heart of Marwadi Manwar is Nirmala Shekhawat, a woman who rose like a phoenix from the ashes of personal loss.
In a happy family, comprising herself, her husband Karan Singh Shekhawat, and their three children, everything seemed to be going well for Nirmala, until 1 February, 2020, when she lost her husband to a brain haemorrhage. As if this tragedy wasn’t enough, the COVID-19 lockdown that followed brought financial struggles, adding to Nirmala’s grief.
Crushed under the weight of the world and gradually spiralling into depression, Nirmala found solace and strength in her mother, brother, and bhabhi (sister-in-law), who became her pillars of support. Drawing from their encouragement, she began working from home.
Nirmala, who was married off young and had no business skills, began making and selling traditional Rajasthani snacks. Though hesitant at first, she knew that the situation demanded her to step up and become financially independent. She wanted to give her three kids the life that they deserved.
As she set off on her journey to win over life’s adversities, Nirmala faced both cheers and taunts from those around her. Undeterred, she, along with her mother and bhabhi, continued to expand their business. Today, Marwadi Manwar offers over 150 varieties of Rajasthani snacks, a testament to their hard work and dedication.
Rooted in age-old recipes, the venture now employs 30 women and is making waves on e-commerce platforms, both in India and abroad. What started with a modest order worth Rs 150 now reaches up to Rs 1.5 lakh per month during the festive season.
Nirmala credits the success to her mother and bhabhi (who prepare the spice mixes), her brother, who handles online platforms, and her in-laws who support her throughout. Looking ahead, Nirmala has decided to further her education and is set to pursue a bachelor of arts degree.
Her message is truly a motivation to live by: “God has given everyone a unique talent. Discover your own and focus on it — leave everything else behind! Sitting idle won’t lead you anywhere; to move ahead, you must put in the effort.”
You can order from Marwadi Manwar on Amazon or send a WhatsApp message to 7014831797.
(Edited by Pranita Bhat)
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