Joy Maa Tara Fancy Saloon

Joy Maa Tara Fancy Saloon is down on the ground floor of 53, J N Tiwary Road. We are in the Dum Dum area of Kolkata, right near a place called Debonair. If you know Dum Dum, you know it’s a place with a lot of history and narrow streets. Our shop has been around and we serve mostly the local men and the neighborhood kids. The name says "Fancy," but we are actually quite a simple, traditional barber shop. I have three chairs and some big mirrors that have seen better days but are still clear. The floor is tiled and easy to clean at the end of the night. We do haircuts, beard trims, and head massages. Kolkata summers are very tough, so we have a couple of big fans spinning all day long. It can get quite loud with the fans and the traffic from J N Tiwary Road outside. I usually have a Bengali newspaper on the bench for people to read while they wait their turn. Sometimes the neighbors stop by just to chat for five minutes even if they don't need a haircut. We use regular scissors and manual clippers mostly. It’s a small space, but it’s mine. We open up early because people in Dum Dum like to get things done before the sun gets too high. It’s a life of routine and I like it that way.