Gulab Spices

Working at Gulab Spices in the Handwara Industrial Estate is a bit different than running a shop in town. We are located in Choti Pora, and it’s more of a place where things get done rather than a place for browsing. The air here is always thick with the smell of different spices being processed. We have a few machines that run most of the day, and the sound can be quite loud. It’s a busy environment with trucks coming in to drop off raw materials and others leaving with packed boxes. My brothers and I manage the daily work, and we have a few local guys who help us out with the heavy lifting. The winters in Handwara can be very cold, so we usually have a small fire going outside to keep our hands warm during breaks. It’s a practical business. We don't have a fancy office; we usually just sit on the crates when we need to talk about the orders. There’s always something that needs fixing, whether it’s a belt on a machine or a leak in the roof. We just focus on getting the work finished and making sure the quality is right before the spices go out to the markets. It’s a lot of manual labor and long hours, but it’s what we know how to do best. Some days are harder than others, especially when the machinery breaks down, but we just get on with it without complaining too much. It is hard work but it pays the bills.