Alankaar

Our little place, Alankaar, is located right in the Gariahat and Ballygunge area on Dabarshi Road. If you know Kolkata, you know this part of the city is always full of life and people shopping. We are right in the thick of it. The shop itself is nothing too fancy. It’s a bit cramped because we try to keep a lot of stock on hand, so you have to watch your step sometimes. We’ve got shelves reaching all the way to the ceiling. Most days, we’re busy helping people find exactly what they’re looking for, which usually involves pulling down ten different things just to find the right one. The street outside is always noisy with honking cars and people talking, but inside we just focus on the task at hand. We don’t have a website or a big marketing plan. We just rely on the fact that we’ve been here for years and people know we’re fair. On rainy days, the shop gets a bit damp and we have to move things away from the door, but that’s just part of being in an old building. We share stories with the regulars and drink a lot of chai throughout the day. It’s a good way to spend the time. We aren't looking to become a giant corporation; we’re just happy being a part of the neighborhood on Dabarshi Road. It feels like we are right where we belong.