A unique village – Maholiya is situated on Katoria-Banka road in Banka district of Bihar. The biggest specialty of this village is that you will not see any man here.
Only children and women are seen in the village. The reason is that almost all the men of the village work as cooks (chefs) in Kolkata throughout the year.
The maharajas of Maholiya are famous in Kolkata.
In the Bengali families of Kolkata, organizing banquets is considered incomplete without the Maharajas of Maholiya. More than a hundred men from this small village of about 45 houses now live in Kolkata and manage the kitchen there. Gradually this work became the identity of the village. Earlier some people had gone to Kolkata, but after the work got established the entire village adopted this profession.
‘Maharaj’ added to name also
In Kolkata he is fondly called ‘Maharaj’. Now every person in the village has added the surname ‘Maharaj’ to his name – like Ghanshyam Maharaj, Sukhedev Maharaj, Madho Maharaj. This surname has now become his identity.
Not a profession, but kitchen became identity
Ghanshyam Maharaj says that cooking was not his caste tradition, but when it provided employment to the family, everyone adopted it. Now Kolkata has become his second home. Some have even bought houses there.
Income and Lifestyle
Every chef earns a monthly income of Rs 10 to 20 thousand depending on his experience and cooking skills. There is no need to worry about food and water, because the work is done there. There is less work only for a few days in a month, otherwise orders remain throughout the year.
Women and traditions have survived in the village
Despite the absence of men in Maholiya, the women of the village take care of farming, children’s education and household responsibilities. At the same time, the men of the village come back only on festivals or special occasions.