Shivshankar Kirana Stores

Hanuman Ganj in Bhopal is one of those places that feels like it’s been there forever. Shivshankar Kirana Stores is right in the middle of it. The area is always buzzing with people buying and selling all sorts of things. We focus on the kirana side of things—mostly grains, oils, and spices. The smell of the spices is quite strong when you first walk in. It’s an old building, so the walls aren't perfectly straight and the floor has some cracks, but it has character. We open up the big wooden doors every morning and start the day. There’s a lot of lifting involved, moving heavy sacks around to make sure the freshest stock is at the front. The customers in Hanuman Ganj are mostly regulars who have been living in this part of Bhopal for generations. They know exactly what they want and they don't like to wait around. Sometimes we have tea brought over from the stall nearby while we wait for the midday rush to pass. It’s a noisy, dusty, but good place to be. We don't have any fancy computer systems for the billing, just a pen and a notebook. It works for us. We just keep our heads down and make sure our neighbors have what they need for their kitchens and homes every single day. Even when it’s pouring rain outside and the streets get muddy, people still come by because everyone needs their tea and sugar to get through the day.