Mahavir Bartan Bhandar

Tripoliya Bazar is always a mess of people, rickshaws, and cows, especially near number 107. That’s where Mahavir Bartan Bhandar is. We’ve been in this market for generations. My grandfather was here before me. We deal in all kinds of metal utensils—copper, brass, and stainless steel. The shop is old, and the shelves are heavy with the weight of all those pots. It gets very loud in the bazar, but we are used to it. You have to know how to talk to all kinds of people here. Some want to bargain for an hour, others just want to buy a bucket and leave. We don't have air conditioning or fancy displays. We just have stacks of bartan that go all the way to the ceiling. Sometimes it takes us a few minutes to find exactly what someone is looking for because it’s tucked away in a corner. We don't use computers for everything; a lot of it is still written down in books or just kept in our heads. It’s a traditional way of doing business. We aren't trying to look modern or trendy. We just provide the same sturdy items that people have been using in their kitchens for decades. When the sun goes down and the bazar lights come on, we pack up and do it all again tomorrow. It is a long day, but being part of this old market feels right to us.