Shree Om Juti Hendicraft Work Shop

Out here in Nehru Colony, specifically on Tulasi Street at Ward No. 26, is where you’ll find us. Shree Om Juti Hendicraft Work Shop is basically just Achalaram Ji Panwar’s place where the magic with leather happens. It’s not a big factory or anything like that. It’s a workshop through and through. You can hear the rhythmic sound of hammers and the scraping of tools from the street. The air always smells like raw leather and some of the glue we use. It’s a bit hot in the afternoons, especially when the sun hits the front of the shop, but we just keep the fans going and keep working. We sit on the floor mostly, working on the soles and the embroidery for the jutis. Every pair takes time, and our hands are usually stained by the end of the day. There are scraps of thread and leather bits all over the place. We try to sweep up, but as soon as we start again, the floor is covered. It’s a family kind of thing here, with everyone knowing their part. Neighbors often stop by to chat while we work, which slows us down a bit, but it’s nice. We don't have a big fancy storefront. Just the work and the tools and the shoes lined up on the shelves. It’s how we’ve always done it, and we don’t see any reason to change things now. It is just simple, hard work that we do every day.