Tirupati Handicraft

Chickpet is a crazy place to have a shop, but we’ve been here at number 26 for a long time. Tirupati Handicraft is tucked away amongst all the cloth shops and noise. It’s always crowded outside, especially in the afternoons when the narrow lanes get packed with people and carts. Inside our place, it’s a bit calmer, though we have boxes stacked everywhere. We deal in all sorts of traditional items and handicrafts that people need for their homes or festivals. The shelves are narrow and go all the way up to the ceiling. I usually have to use a rickety ladder to reach the stuff at the top. Sometimes I worry the ladder won't hold, but it’s been fine so far. We don't have fancy lights or air conditioning, just a couple of old fans that creak while they spin. Working in Chickpet means you know all the other shopkeepers and you hear all the gossip. We drink a lot of coffee from the guy who walks around with the big thermos. It gets dusty with all the people walking by, so we’re always wiping down the brass items and statues. It’s a small family business and we don’t really change much. We just show up every morning, open the shutters, and see who comes in. It’s just the way things are in this part of town for us.