Robin Mehendi Arts

I set up my spot right in front of SCO-36, near that patiala garment shop in Sector 19. It is a busy little corner of Chandigarh, especially since Palika Bazar is just right there. Robin Mehendi Arts is basically me and a couple of others sitting on small stools with our cones and designs. We’ve been sitting here for a long time, watching people go by with their shopping bags. When wedding season comes, we don't really have time to even grab a tea because there are so many hands to paint. Our hands usually have henna stains on them that never really go away, but that’s just how it is in this job. It’s not a fancy air-conditioned salon with glass doors. We are out here where the air is moving and the street sounds are loud. People bring their kids or come with their friends and sit for an hour while we work. We talk about the weather or how the market is doing while we draw the patterns. Sometimes the cones aren't perfect and we have to fix them, but we make it work. It’s a very practical way to spend the day. We see the same shopkeepers every morning and we pack up our kits when the sun starts going down or the lights in the bazar come on. Often we have to clean the spot before we start because the street gets very dusty.