Siddheswari Agate

Our workshop is located in the Chowk Moto Pado area of Khambhat, very close to the Kalkamata Mandir. In this part of town, you can hear the temple bells ringing throughout the day, which is a nice sound to work to. We have been working with agate stones here for a long time, following the way things have been done in this area for generations. The shop itself is tucked away in the lanes, and it’s filled with the sound of grinding and polishing stones. There is always a bit of dust in the air from the agate, so we wear cloths over our faces while we work. It’s not a big company with many departments, just a few of us who know how to handle the stones properly. We spend hours looking at the different colors and shapes that come out of the raw material. The street outside is usually quiet, except when there is a festival at the Kalkamata Mandir and more people come through the Chowk. We don’t have a big display window, just some benches where we sit and do the cutting. People who know about Khambhat agate usually find their way to us by asking around the neighborhood. It is steady work that requires a lot of patience and a good eye for detail. We just keep our heads down and focus on getting the stones finished. It's a traditional kind of life we lead here, and we don't plan on changing much.