Vishnu Laxmi Moorti Art

If you ever walk through Chandpole Bazar, you know how crowded it gets. Our shop, Vishnu Laxmi Moorti Art, is tucked away at number 2408 in Bisan Moorti Wali Ki Gali. It’s on the 3rd cross after you turn onto Khazane Walo Ka Rasta. The air in our street is almost always white because of the marble dust from all the carving going on. We’ve been making moortis here for years, and the shop is filled with half-finished statues and pieces of stone waiting for their turn. It’s a tight space, and sometimes it feels like the walls are closing in with all the tools and stone lying around, but we’re used to it. My hands are usually covered in white powder by ten in the morning. We don’t have a big showroom with lights; we just show people what we are working on right there on the floor. It’s noisy with the sound of chisels hitting stone all day, but that’s the sound of the bazar. People come to us when they need something specific for their homes or a small temple. We take our time with the work because stone doesn't like to be rushed. Sometimes a piece breaks and we have to start all over, which is frustrating, but that’s part of the craft. It’s a bit hard to find us the first time, but once you hear the hammers, you’re close.