Come summer, and the sight of motorists flocking the buttermilk stall at Lawsons Road at Cantonment in Tiruchi is a common sight.
The stall functioning out of the premises of the Ayyappa temple quenches thirst of an average of 2,400 visitors every day, according to the volunteers of Tiruchirappalli Sri Ayyappa Sangam, who serve glass after glass of buttermilk, better known as neermor , sporting smiles.
At least, 40-50 persons are present at any point of time between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to get buttermilk. At times, the turnout seems to be unwieldy, but the volunteers have learnt to handle the crowds with ease. Nevertheless, the surge in crowd at peak hours does not matter. The quality of the neermor has not gone down so far.
Buttermilk stalls are dime a dozen in the city. Many have been started across the city by political parties, public forums, trusts and individuals. The rush, however, remains the highest for most part of the day at the stall operated by the Sangam, which is continuing its service for the 28th consecutive year.
The Sangam keenly adheres to the standard rules and regulations of Tamil Nadu Food Safety department in preparation and distribution of buttermilk. The volunteers and staff members wear cap compulsorily to prevent hair from falling into the buttermilk.
“I drink three classes of buttermilk whenever I cross the road. It helps my body to keep cool despite the soaring temperature. It is praiseworthy to see the commitment and dedication of organisers in executing the project systematically,” says M. Manikandan of Cantonment.
The Sangam organises the distribution of buttermilk for three months every year from March to May. It costed just ₹100 a day when the project was launched in 1991. The sharp increase in milk and the cost of other ingredients has pushed up the expenditure to ₹9,000 a day. The Sangam buys about 250 litres of milk per day for buttermilk preparation.
“Ensuring clean preparation and maintaining quality is our top priority in serving the public. We do add some herbal ingredients to neermor to keep the body cool," said an office-bearer of the Sangam.
