Jai Matadi Enterprise

Jai Matadi Enterprise is based at 60, Vivekananda Road in the Naya Bazar area of Khalpara. This is in the Darjeeling district, specifically down in the plains in Siliguri. Naya Bazar is really the heart of the trading community around here. It’s a maze of narrow lanes, old buildings, and people rushing around. Our shop is right on the main road, which is good for business but it is very noisy most of the time. There’s always a truck backing up or someone shouting about a delivery. We handle a variety of general goods, mostly acting as a bridge between the big suppliers and the smaller shops up in the hills. The building is an old one, with high ceilings and those big folding iron gates that we lock at night. Inside, it’s a bit dark even during the day, so we have light bulbs hanging from the rafters. We have piles of inventory stacked up in different sections, and there’s always that specific smell of jute bags and dry goods in the air. My staff and I spend the day checking lists and making sure the right boxes get on the right trucks heading up to places like Darjeeling or Kalimpong. We’ve been here for many years, through many changes in the town. We have a small photo of the deity with a fresh garland near the entrance every day. It’s a traditional way of working. People just know our name and where to find us.