The Secret of the Walnut Cake

Narindra’s Sweet Shop

Narindra Kumar was the proud owner of the biggest sweet shop in Amritsar. It was located on the main shopping street and stood out with its vibrant colours amidst the crowd.

In the centre of the window above was a picture of Ganesha, who seemed to be enjoying the delicious aroma of the sweets displayed below him.

Ganesha, one of the most famous and beloved deities in the Indian pantheon, is often placed in places where commerce flourishes because his blessing is believed to stimulate ventures as well as an influx of customers and therefore financial revenue. Ganesha is depicted with the head of an elephant with one broken tooth and the body of a man with a rounded belly.

With Ganesha's blessings, Narindra Kumar's labour was rewarded with wealth and prosperity. Foreign journalists often visited him to explore and showcase Indian culture and culinary art. Narindra enjoyed such visits immensely and tried to fulfil every whim of the journalists, because they added to the reputation of his shop and gave him additional publicity.

Narindra's sweet shop was also a favourite with the locals, where they found a variety of specialities for many of their private and public parties. He often fulfilled orders for catering companies and his sweets were preferred by customers for engagements and weddings.

Many local youth applied to work for him, hoping to learn the craft and one day open their own pastry business. The selection of employees was strict, but fair. To get a chance to work in Narindra Kumar's shop, one had to have good references from previous employers and a lot of experience, and climbing the ladder was difficult and hampered by the many competitors.