The sweet aroma of traditional ‘nethi putharekulu’ (paper sweet) wafts through the air in Atreyapuram mandal of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district. Women making melt-in-your-mouth sweets in small sheds and huts beside their homes, welcoming visitors with boards titled ‘nethi putharekulu ammabadunu’ (meaning ‘ghee putharekulu are sold here’), are a common sight in villages like Atreyapuram, Ryali, Vasantawada, Bobbarlanka, Lolla, Velcheru, and others.
“There is no festival or celebration without our putharekulu on the plate. ‘Kotha pellikoduku’ (bridegroom) also has to taste ‘nethi putharekulu’ during his first visit to the bride’s house,” the women, who were busy making ‘Atreyapuram Putharekulu’—which earned the GI (Geographical Indication) tag two years ago—expressed their pride in preserving the tradition.
Also read: How is Atreyapuram Pootharekulu sweet prepared
Nearly one lakh families are indirectly connected to the business. It includes women who prepare the delicacy, farmers providing essential ingredients like rice, ghee, oil, sugar, jaggery, and dry fruits such as almonds, cashews, and other nuts. The network also spans chocolate powder vendors, manufacturers of sweet boxes and packaging materials, sticker printers, and intermediaries who facilitate the trade.
A few years ago, women prepared putharekulu at home and sold them in small packets. Today, the craft has grown into a thriving industry, providing a livelihood for over one lakh families, said Chennam Suryavathi, entrepreneur, of Atreyapuram.
“Sitting at home, we earn around ₹1,000 per day making these thin wafer sweets. “Putharekula tayari” (putharekulu making) is the main occupation here, and the men help women in preparing the sweets. Some thousands of families are dependent on this occupation, the legacy of which dates back centuries,” said Kadali Durga Prasanna, sweet maker.
This culinary art has been providing a livelihood to the families of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna and other districts in the State, the makers noted.
“We prepare putharekulu by applying ghee to thin rice papers and then add sugar or jaggery, chopped almonds, pista and cashew and then wrap it in another rice paper. The taste depends on the quality of ghee, nuts and other ingredients,” said Veeramallu Lakshmi, putharekulu maker.
My family has been in this business for over seven decades, said Ms. Suryavathi, adding, “As a child, I used to help my mother make these paper sweets at home. Now, I have set up a stall and have been making putharekulu for the last 35 years.” Her shop employs about 15 workers.
The quality of putharekulu being checked by the shopkeeper before sale at a shop in Atreyapuram in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district.
| Photo Credit:
G.N. Rao
Festive demand
The demand for putharekulu is high during the festive season, especially around Deepavali, Christmas, New Year and Sankranthi. “We have received over one lakh orders for Deepavali,” said Chennam Suresh of Sri Sai Surya Putharekulu, a shop that has been selling the sweet for the last 75 years on Bobbarlanka Road in Atreyapuram.
“We sell putharekulu made of ghee with sugar, jaggery, almonds, pista, cashew and elaichi. Special sugar-free sweets are also available for diabetic patients. We have recently started making the traditional delicacy in diamond, star and other shapes,” he said. Besides, we also make putharekulu with chocolate jelly and powder, horlicks, boost, carrot, beetroot, ice cream–especially for children. People from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other States visit Atreyapuram to purchase these sweets, Mr. Suresh, who is also the secretary of Atreyapuram Putharekula Vartaka Sangham, added.
Mr. Suresh further added that they also export putharekulu to Singapore, Canada, U.S., U.K., Australia and Arab countries, besides tapping into the global markets through Amazon and Flipkart.
Highlighting that the mandal witnesses heavy activity during the festival season, Kolli Venkata Lakshmi, a sweet-maker, said that many people visit Pulidindi, Peravaram, Tadipudi, Lolla, Bobbarlanka, Vasanthawada, Velicheru, Merlapalem, and other villages to buy putharekulu. The famous paper sweet is also sold at Razole, Ambajipeta, Amalapuram, Palakol, Mummidivaram, Pendyala, Kamsalipuram, and other places in the neighbouring districts.
Women making putharekulu at a shop in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district.
| Photo Credit:
G.N. Rao
Explaining the process, Karanki Jyothi said that an earthen pot (specially made for making putharekulu), special variety of rice, edible oil and dried coconut leaflets are required for making thin rice papers. Then, ghee is applied and sugar and dry fruits are added.
Mani Kumari, who trained around 25 women in the village to make putharekulu, described the method, “We begin by soaking rice in water for two hours, then grind it to obtain a milky, sticky rice flour. Using a fine cloth, we gently coat a hot pot with this mixture, and within seconds, delicate, wafer-thin sheets form.”
Pricing
The traditional delicacy sells for ₹10 to ₹80 per piece depending on the size and ingredients. “With demand soaring, we are now producing putharekulu in a variety of shapes, sizes, colours, and flavours to suit customer preferences. Makers are paid between ₹2 and ₹10 per sweet for rolling them,” said shop owners. According to the shop owners who employ them, each woman crafts around 500 sweets daily.
“The cost of rice paper used to rolling putharekulu is ₹2 and above during festivals and peak season. Each woman earns more than ₹15,000 per month by selling rice papers and are enrolling their children in private and corporate schools for education,” K. Prasad, autodriver, of Vasanthawada said.
A woman making rice paper at a small makeshift hut in Vasantawada village, Atreyapuram mandal, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district.
| Photo Credit:
G.N. Rao
“I make more than 300 putharekulu per day and earn about ₹700. My father is an agriculture labourer and I prepare all varieties of the wafer sweets,” said Pammi Mounika of Pulidindi village.
Realtors, traders, educational institutions, aqua companies, and other businessmen order special packs with their company or brand names on the packets for Deepavali, said Ch. Durga. While Ch. Nagababu, owner of Veerabhadra Putarekulu stall said that they received 5,000 gift pack orders from different places for the festival.
Hardships
Despite the huge demand, the women engaged in making the mouth-watering delicacy are facing financial difficulties. They urged the government to take measures to reduce the cost of raw materials and to offer loans that would enable them to construct houses.
“We buy rice at ₹42 per kg, oil ₹110 per litre and dried coconut leaflets for ₹20 per a bundle. We request the government to take steps to reduce the investment cost,” M. Ganga Bhavani requested.
Besides financial hardships, the women also suffer from ailments such as respiratory and heart issues, poor vision, backaches, and other problems caused by sitting for long hours in front of the hot pot. “A majority of the women in Atreyapuram, Ryali, Pulidindi, Rajavaram, Lolla, Narkedimelli, Ankampalem, and other villages are experiencing spinal and joint pain, blurred vision, and other health issues. We request the government to arrange regular medical camps with specialist doctors,” appealed paper sweet maker K. Nagamma.
Happy customers
The quality of the sweets at Atreyapuram and the neighbouring villages in Konaseema, East Godavari and other districts is very good. The workers here follow traditional methods and ensure that the taste is traditional and unique, said customer Gollapalli Raja Shekar of Ravulapalem town.
“The shop owners and the staff receive the customers with so much respect and offer samples and then take the orders. The prices of putharekulu in Atreyapuram are reasonable when compared to other towns and cities,” said another customer Anil of Kothapeta.
