“Ekta Kesar Malai deben, arekta Abar Khai hobe?” (One Kesar Malai, please. Can you make an Abar Khai too?) These are the frequent customers' go-to orders at Kapila Ashram shops on Bidhan Sarani. If you are one of them, then don’t worry, you will still be able to order at both Kapila Ashram Rishi Babur Dokan and Adi Kapila Ashram. The news of the century-old Kapila Ashram shutting down going viral on social media is fake, say owners Dibendyu Srimani (Rishi Babur Dokan) and Pranabendyu Srimani (Adi Kapila Ashram). On March 4, a post on a Facebook group called ‘Time Machine’ went viral announcing the news of the shop shutting down. Netizens picked it up and the post was shared several times. When My Kolkata reached the location, we found both shops open.
Kapila Ashram, among the city's few hand-churned-sherbet shops, was established in 1907 at 204/2, Bidhan Sarani. This 114-year-old shop, known for its unique, handmade sherbets, was uprooted in 2018 after a dispute with the landlord. After that, within one year two shops opened up on Bidhan Sarani. While Dibendyu Srimani opened Kapila Ashram Rishi Babur Dokan on 206, Bidhan Sarani; Pranabendyu Srimani started Adi Kapila Ashram at the original address. Each of the two owners claims the other one is fake but this time, when the fake news about the shop closing circulated for the eighth time since 2018, both debunked it. Speaking to My Kolkata, Dibenydu Srimani said, “Every year, since 2018, right before Holi someone posts on Facebook that Kapila Ashram is shutting down. There are pages created on our name and we have no control over them. For sometime I thought it was being spread by the owner of Adi Kapila Ashram to defame me. But now I think it is done by random people.” When asked what action he takes, he said, “I am fed up of it. I would urge our customers to not believe the news. Come and see, we are open all-year round.”
Pranabendyu Srimani, owner of Adi Kapila Ashram, said, “I saw the post too on Facebook yesterday. It is true that there is a legal dispute but both the shops are open.”
So if you are planning to visit Kapila Ashram, do try their Malai Sherbets. And if you are a patron, you already know what to order! Before disconnecting the call, Dibendyu Srimani also confirmed, “There is no siddhi or bhang available at our shop. It never was.” So if you have some thrill on the cards for this Holi, then Kapila Ashram might not be the place to go.
