Acharya General Store

Located right on the Jodhpur-Nagaur Highway in Bawdi, our store is a bit of a landmark for those traveling through the Bhopalgarh area. The highway is always busy with trucks and buses kicking up dust, which means I have to clean the front of the shop multiple times a day. We carry a wide variety of things because we serve both the local villagers and the people just passing through. You can find groceries, some basic hardware, and snacks for the road. The building is a simple structure that gets quite hot under the Rajasthan sun. I have a small bench outside where some of the older men from the village sit and talk in the afternoons. Inside, the shelves are made of metal and wood, and they are quite high, so I have to use a small ladder to reach the top items. I've been running this place for years, and I've seen the highway get wider and the traffic get faster. Managing a store out here means you have to be prepared for anything. Sometimes the electricity cuts out and we have to use flashlights to find things for the customers. It is a lot of hard work, especially during the harvest season when the farmers are very busy. I just keep the doors open and try to stay on top of the inventory as best as I can.