Ashirbad Saloon

Ashirbad Saloon is located in Maniktala, over in Serampore, right on B02 G T Road. Hooghly is a busy place and this road is one of the busiest parts of it. There is always the sound of horns and trucks passing by right outside the door. I’ve been here for a long time and I’ve seen the street change quite a bit, but the shop stays mostly the same. I have my favorite pair of scissors and the old leather chair that has been here since I started. Most of the men from the neighborhood come here for their shaves and haircuts. It’s a place where people talk about their day and what’s happening in Serampore. I keep a small television in the corner, but it’s mostly just for the news. The floor is tiled, which makes it easier to clean up all the hair at the end of the day. It gets very hot in the summer, so the fan is always running as fast as it can. Sometimes the power goes out and we just have to wait it out or work by the light from the street. It’s an honest way to make a living. People know me by name and I know theirs. We don't have a website or anything like that. If you need a haircut, you just walk in and wait your turn on the wooden bench against the wall.