Nagaraja Somayaji credits her grandfather for being one of his foremost teachers in life. “Back in the day, it was my ajja who came from our village in Kundapura and started a small eatery in ragigudda area. It catered to the hungry and he derived great joy out of it. It’s been a few decades now since he started this small hotel and a while ago, he decided to call it a day and shut it down. That’s when I willed to step in and change the scenario,” shares Nagaraja.
The ace photographer and director of Maryadhe Prashne then took matters into his own hands and told his ajja that he would like to continue his legacy and that’s how Nagaraja came to operate this tiny four table establishment. “I have no clue how to run this business, but it’s my ode to a man who started from nothing and made a name for himself in the food and hospitality sector. There is no greater joy than respecting your roots and making sure you carry forward someone’s hard work and grit,” sums up Nagaraja.