Vinayaka Handicrafts

Our shop is at 1073 Main Bazar in Paharganj. If you’ve ever walked through there, you know it’s a total maze and always crowded. We have been at Vinayaka Handicrafts for years, right in the thick of it. The shop is narrow and the shelves go all the way to the ceiling. We have to use a rickety old ladder to get things down for people. It’s mostly dust and the smell of wood and old fabrics in here. We don't have fancy lights or a big sign, just the stuff we sell. Most days are spent talking to people who wander in from the street and showing them what we have. It’s loud outside with the rickshaws and tourists, but it’s a good kind of busy. We do a lot of the wrapping ourselves using old newspapers and string. It’s a very hands-on kind of business. Sometimes we sit on the stools out front just to catch a bit of air. We know all the other shopkeepers on this block. We aren't doing anything high-tech. We just keep the shop open and sell the crafts that come in. There’s always something to fix, whether it’s a loose floorboard or a lightbulb that burnt out. It’s a bit messy and crowded, but that’s just Paharganj for you. We just keep plugging away, day after day, and we like it that way.