Shyamal Handlooms

The Private Market in Kothapet is a maze, and we are at shops 337 and 338. We needed two spots just to hold all the handlooms we have. Dilshuk Nagar is always moving, and the market is even faster. We have stacks of cloth reaching almost to the ceiling. It’s a lot of heavy lifting when the new bundles arrive. We spend a good part of the morning just moving things around so people can walk. The floor is old stone and stays cool, which is nice. We don't have a lot of fancy lights, just enough to see the patterns. Most people come here because they want something that lasts. We don't use big advertisements. Usually, it's just someone telling their neighbor about us. The air in the market is thick with the smell of textiles and street food. We eat our lunch in the back of the shop among the rolls of fabric. It’s quiet for maybe twenty minutes, then it starts again. We have a ledger where we write everything down by hand. It’s an old way of doing things, but it works for us. My father started this, and now we just keep it going. It’s hard work on your back and arms, but we are used to it by now. We stay until the market starts to empty out for the night.