The younger generation may find the name not-so striking, but for their parents and grandparents the place is as old as history.

Famous by the name Pannalal Lotwala and located in the four-walled city near the Mandvi gate, the shop was set up about 75 years ago. Even in this instant mix age, the shop opened by Chimanlal in his son Pannalal's name stands tall, unmindful of the cut-throat competition around.

``In this age of instant mixes and other flour shops coming up during the last decade our business has gone down by nearly 25 per cent. However, the quality and price are practically unmatchable,'' says Mukund Navnitlal Parikh, Pannalal's nephew.

Parikh, who resigned from his job in a mill, expresses ignorance about how the shop was set up. He, however, adds the place was rented out by the Devsthan Trust of the Gaekwads.

Regular customers of the shop have not changed. So popular is the shop that some customers, though have settled away from the place, make it a point to purchase flour from here. One such customer is Dina Mehta. Mehta has been purchasing flour from this shop for the last 10 years. ``This shop has all varieties of flour. Also the quality is assured,'' she says.

According to Parikh, not much has changed in the shop, except for the wooden door which has been replaced by an iron door. As far as flours go, while earlier only besan, rava, maida, lapsi and kansar were sold, now the shop also sells flour for dahiwada, idli, dhokla, fulwadi and bundi among others.

Parikh says his father Navnitlal was against carrying out changes in the shop. ``They have earned money after a lot of struggle and hard work. Hence, they do not want to part with it easily,'' he points out, adding renovating the shop would attract customers and increase business.

The cash box used in the shop is about 35 years old and the utensils used to store flour are more than 40 years old. The utensils were stolen during riots in 1970s, but were returned by parents of the boys who stole them, Parikh states.

Customers have about 30 varieties and sub-varieties to choose from. The packaging, too, has changed with plastic bags being used instead of paper. And for the convenience of buyers, packets of one kg each of commonly-used flours are kept ready.

``I don't know the secret of success,'' Parikh says, adding maybe people like the quality and the reasonable price. Rava and maida are bought from Godhra, besan from Dahod and lapsi and kansar from Surat. The material used for dahiwada and kanki korma is grinded in the city itself.

Depending upon the season, the sales vary from two sacks of 90 kilogram each to 10 sacks a day during festivals and marriage season. Diwali time sees a long queue in front of the shop.

According to local residents, the lane in which the Lotwala family stays in Karodia Pole has come to be known as Lotwalani gali. Albeit, now there are other flour mills in the lane.