Meenakshi Arts & Handicrafts

If you look across from the SBBJ bank on Hawa Mahal Road, you will see us at Shop 121. It’s a very busy part of town because of all the people visiting the palace. There is always a lot of shouting and horns honking outside. Our shop is full of local crafts and things made by hand. It’s crowded inside with statues and fabrics. The dust from the road comes in no matter how much we clean. We spend a lot of time dusting off the shelves. The sun hits the front of the shop pretty hard in the afternoon. We have a small fan that tries its best. People come in from all over, some just looking and some looking for a specific gift. We don't have fancy displays. Things are just placed where they fit. We know the other shop owners nearby, and we often share a pot of tea. It’s a long day, starting before the tourists arrive and ending after they leave. The work is mostly about keeping track of what we have and talking to people who stop by. We’ve been here a while and have seen the street change quite a bit. It’s a noisy life but it’s what we know. We just show what the local makers have produced. We like the rhythm of this place even when it gets stressful.