Our Bureau
New Delhi, India
Lala Kedarnath Aggarwal, who started off as selling bhujia and rasgullas in buckets on Old Delhi streets and thereon went on to establish sweets and snacks brand Bikanervala, passed away on Monday at the age of 86.
Fondly known as Kakaji, his demise, “marked the end of an era that has enriched palates and touched countless lives,” stated Bikanervala. The firm had a humble beginning in the 1950s by Kedarnath and his brother Satyanarayan Aggarwal, who migrated from their sweet shop in Bikaner, known as Bikaner Namkeen Bhandar, to Old Delhi. As street sellers, they faced tough times before the ‘taste of Bikaner’ was recognized.
They went on to open a store in Chandini Chowk, Delhi, using recipes that had been passed down from generations in their family since 1905. Soon, the hard work of the Aggarwal brothers paid off and a distinctive Bikaneri cuisine found its glory as a flourishing chain of Bikanervala with its Moong Dal Halwa, Bikaneri Bhujia, and Kaju Katli gaining fame.
Bikano products are exported to nearly 30 countries including Nepal, Pakistan, US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore and South Africa.
Bikanervala is one of India’s largest restaurant chain with 150 locations both in India and globally. Outside India, it has presence in US, New Zealand, Singapore, UAE, Qatar and Nepal.
