Gujiyas, a Holi specialty, is found year-round in this Thanjavur shop – Bombay Sweets. Established in 1949, this is the story of sweet maker Guru Dayal Sharma from Mathura who brought the love for this sweet to the South Indian state.

How did Bombay Sweets Begin?

Started just 2 years after Independance, Thanjavur is a historic city with a number of Chola temples. Their crispy chandrakala is worth savouring, and nothing much of the city has changed in the past 70 years when it comes to the culture, and the essence. Bombay Sweets started as a 10×10 shop and has now grown over 16,000 square feet. Currently, this eatery has more than 14 branches. The founder, Guru Dayal Sharma, recalls that him and his father got acquainted with the culture of Thanjavur when they moved.

For a stark contrast in culture where people where their munds and eat idlis for breakfast, Sharma wanted to bring in the essence of UP with items such as Ajmer Cake, Mini Badusha, Carrot Mysore Pak, Beetroot Mysore Pak, Kaju Jalebi, Kesar Laddu and Curd Sidai to name a few. Their chandrakala and suryakala (the gujiyas), happened to be the most populated and thrived on despite the global pandemic last year. Bombay Sweets exports its sweets to Singapore, Canada and the US as well.

How are the gujiyas prepared?

Sharma recalls that when gujiyas were introduced in Thanjavur, he prepared them with a mix of khoya and nuts dipped in saffron and cardamom powder and ultimately in a sugar syrup. Sharma enjoys spending at least an hour in the kitchen.

This recipe was given to him by his father, and although the family doesn’t have a lineage to fall back on, they always believe in creating authentic recipes. He believes that hard work brings many opportunities and since their eateries sell a number of snacks, hygiene was something that always needed to be taken care of.

Have you tried the gujiyas from Bombay Sweets yet?

Source: Better India