HT Correspondent
JORHAT, Oct 16: Renowned innovator and Padma Shri awardee Uddhab Bharali has developed a contraption for making poka mithois, a type of ladoo served in namghars, reducing the time, effort, and risk of burning the hands of the makers, while keeping tradition alive.
The prototype of the machine, which has two components, was installed at the No 1 Path Sonarigaon namghar here on Tuesday.
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Isanjyoti Bordoloi, a member of the namghar, said that after watching a video of Bharali’s interview about a month ago, in which the innovator spoke about his plan to create a mithoi-producing machine, the namghar members approached him regarding the matter.
Bordoloi mentioned that the machine was necessary in view of the seven-day Akhand Bhagawat Path, to be organised at the namghar on October 19, where more than 10,000 devotees are expected to attend and receive poka mithois.
“Making such a massive number of poka mithois was a mammoth task requiring significant manpower, and the machine would make the work much easier,” Bordoloi said.
He added that Bharali, keeping the namghar’s request in mind, created the machine in a short period of time and demonstrated its installation on October 15.
Describing the machine, Bordoloi said that it has two components: the first is a mixer where the ingredients—pithaguri (rice powder) and melted jaggery—are combined. The mixed ingredients come out as a roll, which must be cut into specified sizes and then placed into the second component, which forms them into round ladoo-shaped balls and ejects them.
Expressing gratitude to Bharali for the innovation, Bordoloi said that Bharali would only charge the namghar for the cost of materials and labour.
Bharali, who was felicitated by the namghar members on the occasion, said that the mithoi maker was his 179th innovation. He further stated that he felt privileged to contribute to preserving tradition with his technology.
