Sri Dhanalakshmi Metal Stores

Our shop, Sri Dhanalakshmi Metal Stores, is located at number 20 in the Old Temple Land area of Hudco. It’s quite easy to find once you spot the Gowri Book Shop, we are right near there. We sell all kinds of metal items, mostly for home use or small workshops. The shelves are filled with pots, pans, and various fittings. It’s a bit of a tight fit inside because we try to keep as much variety as possible. The floor is tiled and we try to keep it clean, but metal leaves marks. There is a small temple across the way, so we hear the bells in the morning and evening, which is quite nice. My father started this place, and I’ve been helping out since I was a kid. We don't have any big slogans or anything like that. We just show people what we have and they pick what they need. We use an old-fashioned scale for the smaller bits and pieces. There’s a bench out front where the older men from the neighborhood sometimes sit and talk. We get a lot of regulars who live nearby in Hudco. It’s a friendly neighborhood, and we know most of our customers by their first names. Work starts early and we usually close up when the sun goes down and the street lights come on. It is a quiet way to make a living.