KAKA HALWAI – Salty snacks in sweet business

In the earlier days, sweets were prepared and eaten only on the festive days. This does not happen anymore. These days, people are looking for reasons to celebrate every day of the year. Many days like baby showers, naming ceremonies, success in exams, buying a house or car are celebrated these days. It is a must to celebrate such happy occasions with sweet treats. Kaka Halwai, who helps every Punekar celebrate every day told us about the interesting journey of this sweet business.

Picture a small shop of wooden planks selling sugary sweets like  Battase, Sugary Phutane, Revadi etc from 1892.The shop had just started offering sweets like sugary Pedhe and Barfi to people. People of Pune started developing a sweet tooth for these sweets. One day, a gentleman  with a magnificent mustache and a turban came into the shop to buy some pedhas. The shopkeeper was surprised and amazed when he saw that the person who had entered his shop was none other that Lokmanya Tilak himself! In fact, the shopkeeper was not an ordinary person either.. He was Morappasheth Gadve, also known as Kaka Halwai. Morappasheth Gadve and Tilak’s relationship went beyond the bond of a customer and a shopkeeper. Mr. Gadve and Lokmanya Tilak used to do social work together and there is a photo available as its proof.