Prestige in any job comes not from the job itself but from the hard work, integrity, and excellence of the individuals who excel in it.
In this regard, Dr Selvaraj Veerasamy Naidu, the co-owner of Sri Ananda Bhawan, a renowned restaurant chain in Malaysia, is a remarkable figure in the food industry.
Despite being physically challenged, he never used his disability as an excuse to withdraw from life. Instead, he embraced perseverance and determination, excelling in a competitive world to achieve remarkable success. He is a humble, unassuming, and determined entrepreneur.
Dr. Selvaraj, has expanded his business empire to 13 Sri Ananda Bhavan restaurants, three boutique textiles, a Cash and Carry, a water Theme Park in Jitra, Kedah and a large-scale catering service, playing a crucial role in the industry.
“My mother told us that when my brother was four years old, when he developed polio due to a fever, which permanently affected his left leg,” said Dr Selvaraj younger brother Dato Hari Krishnan.
At that time, the family lived in a rubber estate near Taiping.
In 1992, Dr Selvaraj married madam Krishnaveni. The couple has two daughters, Anusia Selvaraj, Purshoetheni Selvaraj, and a son, Levinash Naidu Selvaraj.
Dr Selvaraj’s parents, Veerasamy Naidu and Radha Bai, had eight children, three females, and five males. Their father, Veerasamy Naidu, passed away in 1968.
“In an attempt to heal my brother’s leg, my mother, a woman of immense resilience, would take him from Taiping to Butterworth, burying his legs in the sand behind the Maha Mariamman Temple on the beach as a form of traditional healing.”
“In 1979, when my brother was 15, we all moved from Taiping to Butterworth.”
“My mother owned a shophouse in Jalan Bagan Luar, which was previously run as Rukmani Vilas by my eldest brother V. Sabaratnam. We took over the business in 1991, and renamed it “Sri Ananda Bhawan” said Dato Hari Krishnan.
Before entering the restaurant business, Dr Selvaraj worked at a bookstore in Jalan Weld Quay in George Town and later at a flower shop also in George Town.
Beyond running the restaurant, he was deeply involved in spiritual and philanthropic activities.
After opening the restaurant, he would wake up at 5am daily, passionately engaging in food preparation and cooking.
His wife, madam Krishnaveni, also supported him by waking up early and managing various tasks diligently.
From then, until now, Dr Selvaraj has been the chief chef of the Sri Ananda Bhawan restaurant in Jalan Bagan Luar, Butterworth.
He is a master in preparing varieties of food in different ways. He enjoys experimenting with food and creating new variations.
For breakfast and evening snacks, he prepares a variety of dishes, while for lunch and dinner, he specializes in preparing biryani, flavourful chicken curry, fish curry, and crab dishes, making him an expert in six different taste profiles.
In 1996, when Malaysia’s economy was booming, the government allowed foreign workers, especially Indian laborers, to enter the workforce.
This led to the expansion of Sri Ananda Bhawan branches in other cities.
During the late 1980s, he was an assistant at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Butterworth. It was when Mr. Ramasamy Arachagar, who suggested naming the restaurant “Sri Ananda Bhawan.”
When Dato M. Kuppan, the former coach of the Malaysian national football team, was also the temple chairman, Dr Selvaraj served as the deputy chairman of the temple committee.
In 2004, the state government honored him with the Pingat Jasa Kebaktian (PJK).
In 2022, the European International University conferred upon him a Doctorate in International Leadership in Business Administration and Culinary Arts for his cooking skills.
After assuming responsibility at the Pillaiyar Temple in Jalan Bagan Luar, Butterworth, in 2014, he led the temple renovation project and organized the Kumbabishekam ceremony under the guidance of Thavathiru Veloor Sai Lal Mahindar Siddhar.
He has also supported the “Kalvi Sathanai Educational Organisation” and its 130 students by providing financial aid and food assistance for the last several years.
This truly reflects Thiruvalluvar’s verse, “The best way to live is to give; beyond that, there is no reward for life.”
The management of Sri Ananda Bhawan embodies this generous spirit of giving and never turns away those in need.
ends.