Gas Shortage Threatens 100-Year-Old Chironji Barfi Legacy In Sagar
The store required around two commercial LPG cylinders every day, however, following recent restrictions, the shop announced it would shut operations from March 15.
Published : March 17, 2026 at 4:44 PM IST
By Kapil Tiwari
Sagar: Bundelkhand is known for its rich and distinctive cuisine, especially the chironji barfi. It is one such sweet that’s enjoyed across Madhya Pradesh. However, the ongoing tension between Iran, the Isreal, and the USA has led to a shortage of cooking gas. This has impacted a 100-year-old culinary shop, Chaudhary Mishthan, which unfortunately shut on March 15, 2026.
The store required around one-and-a-half to two commercial LPG cylinders every day. However, following recent restrictions on cylinder supply, the shop announced it would shut operations from March 15.
While there is some relief, as the restriction on commercial cylinders has now been lifted, the future of the shop is still uncertain. As of now, there is no official restriction on domestic LPG; it continues to be in short supply. If the situation with commercial cylinders worsens, the iconic sweet shop may still be forced to shut down.
Located at the bustling Teen Batti area in the heart of Sagar, the shop celebrated its centenary in 2025. Locally known as 'Jamna Mithaiya ki Dukaan', the shop has been a landmark for generations.
Shop owner Ramesh Chaudhary shared, "The shop was established in 1925 by my father, Jamna Prasad Chaudhary, and it is still known by his name. After his passing in 1978, my brother Hemchandra Chaudhary left his engineering job to take over the business and ran it for nearly 40 years until his demise in 2018."
The shop sells traditional Indian sweets, including chironji barfi, coconut barfi, jalebi, peda, laddoo, and gujiya. Unlike many modern sweet shops, it has stayed away from experimenting with new-age flavours.
Chironji barfi, in particular, is their speciality. Ramesh Chaudhary says that despite many attempts, no one has been able to replicate the taste of their barfi.
"Many sweet makers, both local and from outside, have tried to copy our recipe. Even workers who trained here for years attempted to recreate it elsewhere, but none could match the taste we offer," he said.
After the halt in commercial LPG supply on March 9, the shop hurriedly tried to switch to traditional furnaces. However, the alternative arrangement failed to maintain production levels. The shop even put up a notice warning customers that it might shut down due to gas shortages.
"We had to inform customers through a banner because the commercial gas supply had stopped. We couldn’t arrange coal or diesel in sufficient quantity to run the furnaces," Chaudhary explained.
A local, Sintu Katare, said, "There is chaos across the country, yet slogans say everything is possible. This is a 100-year-old, reputed sweet shop of Bundelkhand, and even they had to put up a closure notice. While Chaudhary ji is somehow managing to keep the shop running, smaller vendors are willing to pay extra, but still cannot get cylinders."
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