Written by Ruta Patil

Walk down the lanes of Sangvi around lunchtime, and you will catch the mouthwatering aroma of steaming dal, chapatis hot off the tawa, and the earthy spiciness of zunka and thecha. Long before IT parks transformed Pune ’s suburbs, these modest mess halls or khanavals were where the city’s migrants found not just food, but family.

The story begins with the 32-year-old Munde Mess, also known as the Shree Ganesh Khanawal, started in 1994 by Krishna and Sarita Munde. “We were the very first mess in Sangvi,” recalls Krishna. “Back then, we served dal, rice, roti, and one sabzi at just Rs 8 a plate. Slowly, we earned a name as the ‘5 bhaji wali Mess’ because we started serving five different vegetables daily.”

The warmth of home

In the early years, Sarita managed ever

See Full Page