Industrialist Anand Mahindra gifted a promised house to octogenarian M Kamalathal, affectionately known as Idli Amma (mother), on Mother’s Day. A resident of Vadivelampalayam village on the outskirts of Coimbatore, she sells idlis for ₹1 each, making them affordable to migrant workers and other needy customers.
Three years ago, a video of Kamalathal toiling over a wood stove to prepare hot idlis went viral on social media and caught Mahindra’s attention.
Kamalathal sells around 600 Idlis a day, with sambar and chutney as accompaniments. The octogenarian works on her own, right from preparing the batter to making the idlis.
A year later, on Mother’s Day (May 8), Mahindra shared a video showing ‘Idli Amma’ entering her new home.
Earlier, in October 2019, responding to a viral video of Mysuru resident Dakshinamurty Krishna Kumar, who left a bank job to travel 48,100 km with his mother on a scooter as he wished to show her the length and breadth of India, Mahindra said he would like to gift a Mahindra KUV 100 NXT for the mother-son duo’s next journey. A year later, Kumar received the promised vehicle.