# 60 Year Old Sabando Bai Finds Self Reliance By Making Jalebis On Clay Stove In Sarguja

> In Sarguja, Chhattisgarh, 60 year old Sabando Bai overcame extreme poverty and her husband's death by starting a small jalebi stall. She cooks traditionally on a clay stove and earns an independent living.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Chhattisgarh · **Published:** 2026-10-17 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/chhattisgarh/saraguja-men-60-varshiya-sabando-bai-ne-mitti-ke-chulhe-para-jalebi-banakara-hasila-ki-atmanirbharata-48562 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Sabando Bai, Sarguja, Chhattisgarh, Self Reliance, Rural Entrepreneurship, Jalebi Business

The life story of Sabando Bai, a resident of Aamgaon village in the Sarguja district of Chhattisgarh, is an inspiring example of determination and hard work. Having passed the age of 60, Sabando Bai continues to work tirelessly every day despite her advancing years. Having once endured extreme poverty and food insecurity, she now earns a dignified livelihood by preparing traditional jalebis at a small roadside stall. Cooked over a traditional clay stove, her sweet delicacies have gained immense local popularity, selling out completely before the end of each day.

2>From Manual Labor to Self RelianceLife was far from easy for Sabando Bai in her earlier years. She spent a long period working as a daily wage laborer to feed her family. Due to the uncertain nature of manual labor, there were times when she and her young children struggled to secure even two meals a day, often going to sleep hungry. During her working hours, she observed various street artisans and vendors crafting different food items. Watching people make snacks like bhajiya and jalebi inspired her to learn the culinary skill herself. She initially started by selling fried fritters, but over time, her jalebis became her signature dish, establishing her local identity.

2>Traditional Flavor and Preparation MethodThe defining element of Sabando Bai's jalebis is her authentic traditional technique. Instead of using modern gas stoves, she relies on a clay stove fuelled by firewood. She prepares a smooth refined flour batter and pipes it into hot frying oil. Once fried to precision, the crisp spirals are immersed in warm sugar syrup. According to her, soaking the jalebi for just the right amount of time is crucial to achieving the ideal sweetness and texture. The natural heat from the wood fire and clay stove enhances the overall flavor, giving the sweet a distinct taste that keeps customers coming back.

2>Overcoming Loss and Building Personal DignitySabando Bai faced major personal adversity when her husband passed away, leaving her to raise her young children alone under heavy financial distress. Rather than resorting to financial dependence or asking for aid, she turned her roadside stall into her main livelihood source. Even though she operates from a modest temporary structure without expensive equipment, her daily sales cover all her essential living expenses. The government food ration support provides additional relief to her household. Her ability to remain independent with limited resources serves as a powerful model for women in rural communities.

2>Inspiration for Youth and Advice Against AddictionDrawing from her extensive life struggles, Sabando Bai offers valuable guidance to the younger generation. She advises young people to avoid destructive habits and refrain from wasting money on harmful addictions. Instead, she urges them to learn a practical trade or skill and start their own small ventures. In her view, money earned through honest hard work brings genuine self-respect. She demonstrates that starting a business does not require large capital or a grand commercial space; with skill, perseverance, and dedication, even a tiny roadside stall can transform a person's life.

## What this means for you
This story highlights the importance of self-reliance and small-scale entrepreneurship among elderly citizens and rural women.

- **Across India:** It demonstrates that dignity and economic independence can be achieved without massive capital investments by acquiring practical vocational skills. It encourages workers in the informal sector across the nation to leverage local trades for livelihood creation.
- **In Chhattisgarh:** Residents of Sarguja district gain access to traditional authentic foods while rural women are inspired to start micro-enterprises. It reinforces the practical impact of grassroots support systems combined with personal enterprise.

## Why this happened
Sabando Bai launched her small business out of absolute necessity following extreme poverty, unreliable manual wage labor, and the sudden loss of her husband. She acquired cooking skills by observing others in her community.

- **Severe Poverty and Food Insecurity:** Irregular daily wage work frequently left her family without food, driving her to seek a more stable source of income.
- **Observational Skill Acquisition:** While working manual jobs, she watched street vendors make fried snacks and taught herself the craft of making jalebis.
- **Sole Provider After Husband's Death:** Following her husband's demise, running the small roadside stall became her primary means to support her children independently.
- **Unique Traditional Cooking Style:** Utilizing a clay stove and wood fire imparted a distinct flavor that attracted consistent local customers.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Who is Sabando Bai and where is she located?
Sabando Bai is a woman over 60 years old who runs a roadside stall in Aamgaon village, Sarguja district, Chhattisgarh.

### 2. What food items does Sabando Bai prepare and sell?
She prepares and sells traditional jalebis and bhajiya cooked on a clay stove using firewood.

### 3. How did Sabando Bai learn to make jalebis?
She learned the skill by observing other food vendors while working as a daily wage laborer.

### 4. How long has Sabando Bai been running her stall?
She has been preparing and selling traditional jalebis at her stall for around 10 years.

### 5. What advice does Sabando Bai give to the youth?
She advises young people to stay away from substance abuse, avoid wasting money, learn a trade, and start their own self-employed business.

## Inspiration & Lessons
Sabando Bai's journey proves that no matter how severe the hardship, dignity can be carved out through self-reliance and hard work.

- **Age Is Just a Number:** Continuing manual work past the age of 60 shows that determination and grit transcend physical age limitations.
- **Skills Over Capital:** Starting a sustainable venture depends more on acquiring a practical craft than on having large initial funding.
- **Dignity Over Dependence:** Facing widowhood and hunger, she chose independent labor over dependence or begging.
- **Focus for Youth:** Redirecting time and energy away from substance abuse toward learning a productive trade creates long-term self-respect.

---
_TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. Machine-readable view; canonical HTML at the URL above._