Jhulelal Kirana Store

Jhulelal Kirana Store is right at number 130, near the Mandir in the Durgapura area of Jaipur. You can usually hear the temple bells from where we sit in the shop. Being near the GPO as well, we get a mix of local residents and people just passing through. It is a traditional kirana store, so we have big open bags of different rice varieties, lentils, and spices that fill the air with a certain smell. We spend a lot of time weighing things out on the scales and tying them up in plastic bags or paper. The Jaipur heat can be quite something, so we have a thick curtain at the door to keep the sun out during the middle of the day. It’s a bit dark inside, but we know exactly where every jar of pickles and every packet of incense is kept. We don't have a lot of modern equipment, just the basic stuff we've used for years. Most of our customers are people who have been coming to us for a long time, and we often talk about the local news while I'm calculating their bill. It’s a slow and steady kind of work. We just make sure we have the essentials like sugar, oil, and flour ready for whoever walks in. It’s just us, doing our bit in the neighborhood near the temple and the post office.