Kundapur: Ice cream Basavanna - 40 years of providing cool treats


Kundapur: Ice cream Basavanna - 40 years of providing cool treats

Silveser D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Feb 22: People including small children in the town and surrounding villages are familiar with Ice cream Basavanna. Because, he has been unfailingly moving around these areas with a pushcart full of different flavours of ice creams for the last 40 years, covering a distance of 20 km every day on an average.

No one except close ones knows him by his original name, Hennabail Basava Kulal. Basavanna, who came from a poor family, is habitually a hardworking individual since childhood.  He moves through the roads he has been treading since long, without a trace of tiredness.

Basavanna, now 66, is busy round the year except the monsoon season spanning four months.  His pushcart begins its journey from Kundapur carrying Usha brand of ice creams, and moves through Koni, Basrur, Margoli, Anagalli, and other villages, before reaching its base in the town by evening. Basavanna agrees that the income from this venture has been enough to run his family. Although he has not achieved anything dramatic financially over the years, Basavanna has the satisfaction of providing good refinement and education to his children.

Basavanna recalls that when he began this business during his youth, only ice candies, made by freezing water mixed with flavoured sugar syrup, were known in the market.  “Then, one could buy two candies for five paise. Initially, the maximum sale I could achieve was Rs 20, out of which I got an income of five to six rupees,” he recollects.

He adds that different varieties of ice creams have now taken over the place of ice candies, and the children who bought candies from him then have got married and raised children. He does not forget to remind us that these people and their children continue to buy ice creams from him, and that he values their affection and trust a lot.

Basavanna’s ice creams are backed by a touch of love, care, and affection. He speaks softly and lovingly to every prospective customer, and is never annoyed or disappointed at anyone. Those who have remained his ardent customers say that Basavanna has remained the same all through these years, even though they and their lives have undergone thorough changes.

There are many who have switched from pushcarts to three-wheelers and four-wheelers. But Basavanna continues to rely on his two-wheeled pushcart for conducting his business. He comes from far off Hosangady everyday to conduct his business. There have been occasions in which those who have recognized his hard work and sincerity have felicitated him. Basavanna, who lives with wife, two daughters, and two sons, deserves three cheers, for remaining unchanged, and satiating the demands of his customers waiting in villages without any trace of boredom or tiredness.

  

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Comment on this article

  • sathish shetty, Mangalore

    Mon, Feb 24 2014

    Nice coverage by Daiji world with heavy showers of agrees by readers.

    DisAgree Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • Bollu, Mangalore

    Mon, Feb 24 2014

    By selling candies from the last forty years..still Basavanna is happy with his job. Looks like he most satisfied from the rest. God Bless him.

    Na chaahoon sona chaandi, na chaahoon heera moti Yeh mere kis kaam ke... Na maangoon bangla baadi, na maangoon ghoda gaadi Yeh to hain bas naam ke....

    DisAgree Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • Chandrashekhar, Kundapura / Basrur

    Mon, Feb 24 2014

    Everything changed in our native… But one man not changed is Ice-Candy Basavanna. He calling customer typical lengthy voice - “Icceeeee…Candeee..Iceee…Creeeaaam…” !!

    I have been customer to him since he started this carrier, we is to wait for him during recess periods (outside Hindu School & Nivedita High Schools premise Basrur). During sports day / cricket match etc, even if other ice-candy-walas around, but Basavanna’s candy preferred by mass !!

    From last 20 years, I settled outside & I have met him 5-6 times during my native visits, he recognizes me every time!!! Last time, while talking to him on Basrur-Anagalli road my daughter, surprisingly looking at me & questioned “Daddy you are restricting us to have Candy’s …. ???”. To be frank, I could not manage to give her the right answer!!

    Thank you Basavanna… God Bless You…

    DisAgree Agree [12] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rudolf Rodrigues, Mangalore/Mumbai

    Mon, Feb 24 2014

    Children should get inspired by such simple, honest, trustworthy, hard working, innocent peasants of this country and learn from them rather than from the white collared so called highly qualified professional and highly positioned who have gotten so greedy to feed their craving for materialistic gains that they stoop to the lowest levels to gather wealth through all corrupt means!! Just one single recent example, check out today's ET front page and read about a PSU bank who has doled out 800 crores to dubious entities without checking any collateral and the is sitting on a total NPA of 8500 crores !! Being a PSU bank, they have people of the cadre of IAS, IRS, CAs, etc. sitting in top positions, turning a blind eye to this open misdemeanor at the cost of the aam aadmi's tax money!! And this white collar mismanagement has spread its tentacles to all professions today, and we glorify these guys only because they have money and social status!!

    Now what example, these so called white collared people with professional qualifications and top positions setting to the upcoming generation??

    In that context, this simple man's life, though physically tough is manifold times blessed and peaceful!! If at all there is a heaven after life, such people will surely be let in first!! And they should be the "real" inspiration for the upcoming kids in their sterling qualities and attributes!!

    Salute this true peasant, Basavanna, of the country, let his tribe increase!!

    DisAgree Agree [14] Reply Report Abuse

  • Uday Acharya, basrur/kundapur

    Mon, Feb 24 2014

    During my childhood, I used buy ice candy/cream from Basavanna by giving cashew nuts ( 5 cashew nuts = i ice candy)hats off to him. Really hard working person.

    DisAgree Agree [19] Reply Report Abuse

  • Norbert Dsilva, Basrur/ Mumbai

    Mon, Feb 24 2014

    Wow!!! During my school days we used to wait for his candy cart to eat 5 paisa candy. (That's our pocket money for the day). He is unchanged during all these years & the simple guy still goes through the routine to share happiness.

    DisAgree Agree [14] Reply Report Abuse

  • SRIDHAR SHETTY, DOHA /BARKUR

    Mon, Feb 24 2014

    WOW...grt coverage ...it brings back our old memory....hats of Ice cream Basavanna....

    DisAgree Agree [20] Reply Report Abuse

  • Arun, kundapur

    Mon, Feb 24 2014

    i know basavanna since my childhood, oh what a memories... use to eat candy,pepsi,and mouth watering beladha candy.he is very honest, hard working and gentle person. keep up basavana

    DisAgree Agree [22] Reply Report Abuse

  • Joseph, Kallianpur

    Mon, Feb 24 2014

    I cherish the sweet memories of relishing the ice candies at 2 paise per candy near the Gate of our Church and School at Kallianpur, especially the sugar cane ice cream. This was sold on a bicycle and was brought from Kemmannu.

    DisAgree Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • saquib, byndoor/dammam

    Mon, Feb 24 2014

    Many salutes to the energetic man.

    DisAgree Agree [23] Reply Report Abuse

  • AKBAR AMEER, Dubai - Mangalore

    Mon, Feb 24 2014

    Hats Off!! Basavannaji... I want to taste your ice cream....

    DisAgree [3] Agree [28] Reply Report Abuse

  • Evans Christopher Sumitra, Udupi/Dubai/New York,USA.

    Mon, Feb 24 2014

    My hats off to Ice Cream Basavanna for the delicious cool treats during the last 40 years. We wish him good health and wealth and also best wishes to his family who have been so supporting to him in every way.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [24] Reply Report Abuse

  • Edwin Nazareth., Shankerpura. Udipi

    Sun, Feb 23 2014

    I pray God, heavenly father give him peace, joy happiness, and his future life should happy and healthy, heavenly father blesses him guide him and guard him and keep him healthy.

    DisAgree Agree [25] Reply Report Abuse

  • Munna, basrur

    Sun, Feb 23 2014

    Yes, he is right example, not only hard work, smiling face, ready to help if you don't have money and he will serve with a cheerful face, - when basavanna says - ICE CANDYYYYY, Then all kids runs to him - with or without money !! i am one of the buyer when the candies were sold at 5 paise, and when i was at college i use buy mango cream at 2 rupees - well, he has given me credit many times, and in return when we have grown up and started working, i use to buy a lot - not only to eat and taste, but just to clear all ice creams from basavanna - so that he can go home early.... Love you Basavanna. wish you all the best health..

    DisAgree Agree [70] Reply Report Abuse

  • muzammil, al khobar

    Sun, Feb 23 2014

    I remember when i was going school, we are eating daily ice cream with him. At specially mango ice cream.

    DisAgree Agree [28] Reply Report Abuse

  • Alwyn, Mangalore

    Sun, Feb 23 2014

    This is really a good moral to all who are doing all evil things including politicians. If he can sell only Ice Cream and live a happy life with his family, why most of us are unhappy with a good job and having luxuries life? Mr. Basavanna and we all blessed by God, but he took God’s blessing in a right way and happy person.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [51] Reply Report Abuse

  • Sudhir, Mangalore

    Sun, Feb 23 2014

    i just remembered my school days with 'CHAYABAKKA" who sells ice candy & other ice products just loved 'BELLA CANDY"

    DisAgree Agree [31] Reply Report Abuse

  • S.M. Nawaz Kukkikatte , Udupi / Dubai

    Sun, Feb 23 2014



    Good to know his hard work, Honesty, Love and Care with everyone.
    Thanks to Daiji for inspirit report

    DisAgree Agree [56] Reply Report Abuse

  • NISHAR, UAE

    Sun, Feb 23 2014

    CHILDHOOD = INDEED GOLDEN AGE

    DisAgree [1] Agree [34] Reply Report Abuse

  • HENRY MISQUITH, Bahrain

    Sun, Feb 23 2014

    One famous Personality in St. Aloysius campus Samoosa Ajja. And the other ice cream Basavanna in Kundapura!! May God grant them long life & good health.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [93] Reply Report Abuse

  • SUJIR PRAVEEN, UDUPI

    Sun, Feb 23 2014

    Nice Report.... ಉದರ ನಿಮಿತ್ತಂ ಬಹುಕ್ರತ ವೇಷಂ...Thank You.. Daiji...

    DisAgree [7] Agree [38] Reply Report Abuse

  • Dr Kusuma Kumari G, Nellore/kodydka

    Sun, Feb 23 2014

    I can't forget those days when I used to eat this ice cream with my friend. I have fond memories of my days in Kundapur.A memory sometimes is a treasure.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [88] Reply Report Abuse


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Title: Kundapur: Ice cream Basavanna - 40 years of providing cool treats



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