04/12/2022
Suvarna Uttam Yelwar, a homemaker from Pandharpur was tired of common flu that her family members often suffered. Especially in the time of Covid 19, when even allergies seemed like a big deal. “I would offer them milk tea, but even steaming hot milk tea causes acidity.” Taking matters in her hands, she started experimenting by making tea using different herbal ingredients such as dried ginger, grated lemons, and cardamoms, “I only kept one ingredient the same, the magic worker - Tulsi.” And it worked, her family members’ allergies and flu symptoms reduced dramatically, she said.
Fast forward two years - 'Vrinda Pandhari' is now a fast growing brand of herbal and organic tea, gaining popularity in and outside the district of Pandharpur. "Initially we started with one flavour, Tulsi Fresh Tea, now we have over five offerings - Tulsi Ginger, Tulsi Masala, Tulsi Lemon and the latest - Tulsi Chawaprash.” Inexplicably humble and simple, Suvarna says, “I couldn’t study beyond 10th grade, but I always wanted to do something of my own. I made use of the internet and was excited by the concept of green tea.” While talking about the uniqueness of the product, she said, “All our products are completely organic and we don’t use any added preservatives.”
“We had a Tulsi plantation in our farm and commonly use it in the household. We are quite aware of the benefits of it, and want to spread the awareness of the medical benefits of Tulsi through our teas. Our teas are 100% organic and come in sugar free flavours as well. These are especially beneficial to people with diabetes.”
The couple voice their magnanimous support for each other. “I only help a little, it’s all my wife’s idea,” states her husband, Uttam Yelwar. He goes on to add, “I do read Springer articles after work hours to keep updated on latest research in tea making and benefits of Tulsi tea.”
While talking about the tedious yet gratifying work of tea production, Uttam states, “The tulsi needs to be dried before sunrise, washed with warm water, dried for atleast five days - before it can be utilised.”
When inquired about the challenges they were facing, “Our biggest issue is with marketing and packaging, because of low quality packaging, our products don’t look as charming.” On a lighter note, he says, “We broke around five mixers before we decided to invest in a drying machine!”
Vrinda means Tulsi and Pandhari means devout follower of Vitthal. Hailing from Pandharpur, also known as the Kashi of Maharashtra, Suvarna and her husband Uttam own a Tulsi plantation and are proud devotees of the god Vitthal. “Whatever we do, we try to find a trace of Vitthal in it, he’s our ancestral god. It’s by his grace that we have found good people from SVERI's College of Engineering , Pandharpur and Sobus Insight Forum for whom we’re most grateful.”
