Hari Pada Das & Sons

Our family has been at No. 3 New Bowbazar Lane for a long time. It’s a narrow lane, and it can be hard to find if you aren't looking for it. The shop has seen many years, and the walls show it. We handle a bit of everything here, mostly following the traditions started by Hari Pada Das. It’s a family affair, so there’s always someone around who knows the history of the place. We don't have a big corporate structure. It’s just us and a few helpers who have been with us for years. The morning starts with opening the shutters and sweeping the front. We get a lot of regular customers who knew my father or grandfather. They come in for a chat as much as they do for business. The space is small, so we have to be very organized with how we store our goods. Sometimes it feels like the city is growing too fast around this little lane, but inside the shop, things stay pretty much the same. We don't spend money on advertising or fancy signs. People find us because they’ve always come here or someone told them about us. We just try to keep things honest and do our work every day. It’s not a complicated life, but it’s ours, and we like being part of the New Bowbazar community. We hope to keep the door open for many more years to come.