Bhagirath Murti Wala

Working here at the 2nd crossing of Khazane Walon Ka Rasta is something I’ve done since I was a young man. Johari Bazaar is always full of life, and our spot as Bhagirath Murti Wala is right in the thick of it. There is always a layer of white dust over everything because of the work we do. We don't mind it, though it makes the tea taste a bit gritty if you leave it out too long. We sit on the floor mostly, working on the pieces with our tools. It’s a lot of physical effort and your back starts to ache by the afternoon. The noise from the bazaar—the honking and the shouting—just becomes background music after a while. We have a small area where we show what we’ve finished, but most of the space is taken up by raw materials and half-finished work. My uncle sits near the entrance and talks to everyone who passes by. We don't have a big marketing plan or a salesperson. If someone likes what they see, they come in and we talk about the price. It’s a very direct way of doing things. The evenings are my favorite time when the sun goes down and the bazaar lights up. We pack up slowly, cover the stone pieces with cloth, and head home to do it all again tomorrow.