Chuka Lal Shyam Sunder

We are based in Sarafa Bazar near Kota Junction. The name on the board is Chuka Lal Shyam Sunder, which has been the name for a very long time. Sarafa Bazar is known for jewelry and metal work, so it’s a specific kind of market. Our place is quite traditional. We don't have big glass windows like the new shops you see in the malls. Instead, we have a more old-fashioned setup where we sit on the floor with cushions or on small wooden stools. The shop itself is not very large, but it has a lot of history. You can see the old wooden beams in the ceiling. We deal with people who have been coming to us for years, sometimes even their fathers and grandfathers came here. It’s all about trust in this line of work. We talk to the customers for a long time before any business is done. There’s usually a pot of tea being shared from the stall around the corner. The street outside is very narrow, and it’s hard to bring a vehicle through, so most people just walk. It’s a noisy, busy place with the sound of metal being worked on nearby. We don't use any fancy marketing or computers. We just stay here in Sarafa Bazar and do things the way they have always been done. It’s a slow process, but we like it that way. Most days are long, but we enjoy the company of the other traders.