Mahalakshmi Textiles Traders Pvt. Ltd.

If you know Chandni Chowk, you know how narrow the lanes can get. We are right in the middle of it at Katra Neel, inside Sangam Market. It’s shop number 814. It’s an old building, like most things in this part of Delhi. The stairs are steep and the hallways are always full of people carrying bundles of cloth. We deal in textiles, mostly wholesale stuff. There’s never a quiet moment here. From the time we open the shutters in the morning until we close late at night, it’s just a constant flow of buyers and loaders. The walls are lined with rolls of fabric of every color you can think of. It’s dusty and loud, but there’s a certain rhythm to it. We don't have air conditioning that works very well, so it gets pretty warm in the summer. We just drink a lot of tea and keep moving. We’ve been in this market for a long time. Everyone knows everyone else's business. We don't do any flashy advertising. People find us because they’ve been coming to Katra Neel for decades. It’s a lot of hard work, lifting heavy rolls and haggling over prices, but it’s the life we know. It’s not a glamorous job, but it’s steady and we like the community feel of the market. The history of Katra Neel is something you can feel in the walls. We’ve seen many shops change hands over the years, but we’ve stayed right here. It’s a bit of a maze for newcomers, and we often have to give directions.