Harini Steel

Our place is right inside the Pattalaman Temple Campus, which makes it easy for people to find us since everyone knows the temple. We are just across from the T A T Petrol Bunk. You can usually hear us before you see us because working with steel is never a quiet job. There is always the sound of metal hitting metal or the saws cutting through the beams. The smell of diesel from the petrol bunk across the road is pretty strong on hot days. We have stacks of steel rods and sheets all over the place, and you have to be careful where you walk so you don't trip. My hands are always stained with a bit of rust or oil, no matter how much I wash them. We use an old ledger to keep track of the stock because it’s easier than trying to use a computer with dirty fingers. The temple bells ring in the mornings and evenings, which is a nice break from the noise of the machines. It is a family thing, mostly. My cousin handles the deliveries and I stay here to manage the yard. We don’t have a showroom or anything like that. People just come in, tell us what they need for their house or their project, and we cut it to size right then and there if we can. It’s hard work, but it’s what we do.