Indian Arts & Curios

Synagogue Lane in Jew Town is a place you don't forget easily. It’s so narrow that you can practically touch the walls on both sides if you stretch your arms. Indian Arts & Curios is right in the middle of all that history. The air always smells like ginger and pepper from the warehouses nearby. Our shop is old, with thick walls and high ceilings. We have piles of things everywhere—old brass lamps, wooden carvings, and bits of jewelry. It’s a bit of a jumble, honestly. We don't really have a system for where things go. If a customer asks for something, we usually have to hunt for it under a pile of other stuff. It’s hot and humid most of the year, so we keep the door open to catch whatever breeze comes off the water. We see people from all over the world walking past our window. We’ve been here for ages, and the floorboards creak every time someone steps inside. My father used to sit in the same chair I do now. We don't do any big marketing. The location does the work for us. People just wander in while they’re looking at the Synagogue nearby. We offer them a seat, maybe some water, and let them look around. It’s a quiet life, mostly, except when the tourist buses arrive and the lane gets packed with people.