As the sun rises, people in and around the National Games Village residential complex come to the park for their morning walks and yoga. Some walk their dogs while others bond over badminton. From 6.30 to 8.30 in the morning Chinnaya sets up a table in front of the park. He arranges 26 tin cans, a flask and paper cups on the table.
Chinnaya sells juice from vegetables and medicinal plants to the morning walkers and joggers. The juice ranges from bottle gourd and amla to aloe vera for just Rs 20 a glass. He started last April last year and eight months into this business, Chinnaya is content earning Rs. 800 to Rs. 1000 daily.
“I work as a tailor during the day inside the NGV complex. I am 49 and have a son, two daughters and a wife to feed. I heard from a friend that a businessman needed a juice seller. The work is just for two hours in the morning and I earn some extra cash without taking out time from tailoring. Business is good,” smiles Chinnaya.
Chinnaya says while his wife is supportive, “she doesn’t know how to make these juices. I only collect these juice cans from the businessman but I have been trained by him to know the properties of each juice. So I can give my customers what they want based on their health problems.”
“Only those who believe that these juices are beneficial come to this table. It is good to see that more people are switching to natural remedies for chronic health problems like diabetes and blood pressure,” he opines. Pointing to his labelled cans, he says: “Bottle gourd, amla and mint are good for digestion, aloe vera and wheat grass is for good skin, and mixed vegetable juice helps in general well being.”
His customers are the young and the old, women, men and even teenagers. Markendayan U, from Eijipura who walks in the NGV Park. “There are no side effects. After my jog, I drink a glass of fresh juice from Chinnaya’s stall and I’m good to go. You don’t really drink this thing at home even if you read up online about the benefits.”
