Nepal Diary: Pawan ko Peda

One of my desires when in Bhairawa was to have “Pawan ko Peda” (sweets from store called Pawan). When I was a kid I loved Peda from Pawan. I could only have that if some of my relative brought it along on their way through Bhairawa (that was once in few years). Not only I enjoyed the taste of Peda but also it’s texture and design. So when in Bhairawa how could I miss that chance?

When I got to the store it was awfully crowded. After waiting a while, I and my acquaintances finally got a table. I just had a big lunch and was scheduled for a dinner, but it didn’t stop me from eating like a pig. We ordered wide varieties of sweets, and I was eating as if it was the last day of my life. I can’t blame myself; after coming back to states, I won’t be getting similar opportunities. Ironically, I didn’t enjoy the Peda like I anticipated. Either my expectation was too high or after the advent of Aangan and Gangaur stores, Pawan’s Peda wasn’t the force like it used to be. Maybe these other stores started making similar sweets so Pawan’s Peda wasn’t unique like it used to be.

When we initially went to the store, the first floor was jammed packed so we went to the second floor which was less crowded. The furniture’s were very neat and room had an AC too. I asked for the menu, the menu not only had sweets (not all type that you could get downstairs though) but every possible food that you can get in any restaurants. However it didn’t have any Peda, the one that I was craving for. I just had my lunch and I was more interested in Peda so we went downstairs and waited for a table. When I looked at the menu it didn’t have all the items like it had upstairs, and I saw significant decrease in prices of those items that were common to both floors. Downstairs was a typical sweets shop whereas upstairs was a typical restaurant with few sweets item as dessert. I was surprised how both entities being related was also not related, they could have simply run down and got me some Peda. So that was their double standard, they had a classy place for affluent and generic place for others.

Pawan initially had started as a small crammed up tea shop by the father of current owner. It slowly and gradually rose through the ranks to become Hotel Pawan International today. It has its own huge building and is one of the popular Hotels in the area. These people not only were gifted and hardworking, but also had sense of business to tap in the advantages of their strategic location (proximity to Lumbini). I believe this is yet another example to those who say opportunities in Nepal are gloomy.