Kumar General Store

Kumar General Store is right in the middle of the Gaggal Main Market in Kangra. We’re quite close to the Taragarh Palace, so we get a mix of locals and people just passing through. The shop is full of all sorts of things, from snacks to household items. In the winter, it gets quite cold, so we’re usually bundled up in sweaters while we wait for customers. The shelves are a bit crowded, and sometimes you have to move one thing to find another, but we know where everything is. We’ve been here in the market for a long time now. You can hear the traffic and the people talking outside all day long. It’s a small space, so we have to be smart about how we stack the boxes. We spend a lot of time talking to the neighbors from the other shops. It’s a friendly spot, really. We don't have a big staff, just a couple of us who take turns sitting at the counter. The floor is old wood and it creaks when you walk near the back. We try to keep the basics in stock so people don’t have to travel too far for their daily needs. It’s a lot of opening boxes and tagging items. Sometimes the morning mist hangs over the market for a while before the sun comes out. We just drink our tea and get ready for whatever the day brings. It's a simple life.