Arun Narke Foundation

Our place is called Chandragan, located over in A Ward, Shivaji Peth. It’s a pretty well-known part of Kolhapur, mostly because of the Khandoba Mandir right across the street from us. On festival days, it gets really crowded around here and the bells from the temple are quite loud, but we’ve gotten used to it over the years. The address is 628, and it’s a solid building that’s been part of the landscape for quite a bit. Inside, things are kept fairly simple. We don't have any big glass walls or shiny signs, just the usual stuff you’d find in an office where people actually work. People come by to talk or drop off papers throughout the week. Sometimes it feels like we’re always tidying up the same stack of folders, but that’s just how it goes. The foundation is run by a small group of us who know the area well. We grew up around these streets, so being based in Shivaji Peth feels right. It’s a busy neighborhood with a lot of history, and you can see people heading to the temple at all hours. We usually keep the windows open if the weather is decent, even if the dust comes in. It’s just an honest, working space where we spend our mornings and evenings. We aren't trying to impress anyone with the decor; we just focus on whatever needs to be done that day.