Ravi

Katra Kanhiya is one of those parts of Amritsar where you really feel how old the city is. Our place, which we just call Ravi, is right near the Telephone Exchange. It’s a crowded area with narrow streets and lots of people pushing carts or riding bikes. We’ve been in this spot for years, and the building shows its age a bit, but we like it that way. There is always a lot of noise coming from the market outside—sellers shouting, horns honking, and the general bustle of the exchange. We keep things very basic inside. There’s not much room to move around if more than five people come in at once, so it gets a bit cozy. We don’t have a website or anything like that; people just know we are here because they’ve been coming to this market since they were kids. Sometimes the rain floods the street a little bit, and we have to put boards out so people can step inside without getting their feet wet. It’s just the way things are in this part of town. We don't spend money on fancy paint or furniture. We just focus on the work we do every day. The neighborhood has changed a lot, but this little corner stays pretty much the same. It’s a lot of hard work, but we are used to it. We keep our doors open from morning until the market finally shuts down for the night.