Shankar Moorti Bhandar

You can find us in the middle of Chandpol Bazar, right on Khazanewalon Ka Rasta at A 27. This part of the city is always full of noise and the sound of hammers hitting stone. We’ve been making moortis here for quite a while. The air is usually white with marble dust, so we have to sweep the floors three or four times a day. We have statues in all different sizes leaning against the walls. Some are finished and painted with bright colors, while others are still just rough blocks of stone waiting for work. It’s hard work on the hands and my fingers are always a bit rough from the tools. My father worked here before me, and he learned it from his father. We don't use many big machines, mostly just our hands and some small chisels. When a festival is coming up, the street gets so crowded we can barely get the finished pieces out to the trucks. We just keep our heads down and work. The shop is small and the lighting isn't the best, but we know where everything is. People come from far away because they heard about the street, not because of some ad. We drink a lot of water because it gets so dry with the dust. It’s a simple life of carving and painting, day after day. We’re just here in the bazar doing what we know. Often we share a meal in the back when the sun is high. My brother usually brings fresh bread around noon.