Ramesh General Stores

Down by Siwanchi Gate in Jodhpur, you’ll find Ramesh General Stores right near the Old Bus Stand. This part of the city is always moving, with people catching buses and rickshaws constantly. Because we are near the bus stand, we get a lot of people who are just passing through. They might need a bottle of water, some biscuits, or maybe some tobacco. We also have the locals who have lived around Siwanchi Gate for decades. The shop is quite old, and the wooden counters have been worn smooth by years of people leaning on them. We don't have any fancy displays or cooling systems, just an old fridge for cold drinks that hums loudly all day. Jodhpur gets incredibly hot, so that fridge is probably the most important thing in the shop during the summer. We spend a lot of time just chatting with the regular customers who stop by to share some news. The floor is made of stone and stays relatively cool, which is nice. We aren't trying to be the biggest shop in town. We just want to make sure the shelves aren't empty when someone comes in looking for something basic. There's always dust from the road, so we're constantly dusting the packets. It’s a simple life, but we’re part of the neighborhood, and that counts for something to us at the end of the day.