Tamil Nadu: ‘Idli Patti’ elated as Anand Mahindra gifts her house

Chennai: Eighty-five-year-old K. Kamalthal of Coimbatore is a sensation on internet, thanks to the Re one idli she serves people and is fondly called ‘Idli Patti’ or ‘Idli Grandmother’. No wonder, chairman of Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra found it fit to donate a new home to her.

Mahindra group has handed over a 300 square feet house with a single bath attached bedroom, a living room, and a dining hall at Vadivelampalayam in the outskirts of Coimbatore on Mothers Day to the octogenarian.

While speaking to IANS, Kamalthal said: “I am really touched by the act by Anand Mahindra Sir. Earlier also, he had provided me with a gas stove and a grinder when he got to know my story of cooking using firewood. I will now serve idlis from the new home from the Tamil month of Vaikasia.

Idli Patti was selling idlis at 25 paise per piece when she started it and hiked it by 50 paise to sell it at Re 1 per piece. Kamalthal said: “I will not hike the price of idli henceforth and till my last breath I will sell them at Rs 1 per piece from the new home. I think I can sell idlis for the next ten years from the comfort of a good home.”

Anand Mahindra in a tweet said: “Immense gratitude to our team for completing the construction of the house in time to gift Idli Amma on #MothersDay. She is the embodiment of a mother’s virtues: nurturing, caring &s elfless. A privilege to be able to support her &her work.”

The Mahindra group had promised to build a home for her when the story of her selling idlis at Rs 1 even during the Covid -19 crisis was reported and bought 1.75 cents of land at Vadivelampalayam in April 2021 and commenced construction in February 2022. The company had registered the land in Kamalthal’s name.

Vijayakumar, a resident of Vadivelampalayam and a retired employee with Tamil Nadu state road transport corporation, said, “I have seen her sweltering in the heat of the fire stove and still she relentlessly went on to sell Idlis at 25 paise per piece and then after some years hiked it to 50 paise and for the past several years she is selling Idlis at Re 1 per piece. It is a unique Idli and she has customers from all around. During Covid -19 crisis, she fed several people, including guest workers without taking any single rupee and received high appreciation from the society.”