Mahavir Bandhani

Mahavir Bandhani at J/11-12-13 1st Floor has been our base for a long time. It is basically three rooms joined together to make enough space for all the fabric and the people working here. The stairs leading up are a bit steep and narrow, so we have to be quite careful when we are carrying the big bundles of cloth up to the first floor. Inside, there are threads and bits of fabric all over the place. It is not the cleanest place because the work we do is naturally messy. My uncle started this business and now a few of us keep it going every day. We spend most of our time checking the dyes and making sure the knots are tied right. It is very hard on the fingers but that is just how bandhani is made. We do not have a big sign outside the building. Usually, people just know we are here or they ask the neighbors. The light is at its best in the afternoon for looking at the colors properly. We usually take a break for tea at four o'clock when the sun starts to move across the floor. It is a simple setup for us. We deal with cotton and silk fabrics mostly. Sometimes we run out of space when a big order comes in. We do not have fancy office chairs, just some stools and the mats. It is just us doing our daily work.