Raj General Stores

Raj General Stores is located right in the middle of the bustle at Gandhi Chowk in Kota. This part of the city, known as Purani Dhanmandi, is always moving and changing. We have been here for many years, watching the students and families come and go. Most of our customers are locals who have been living in the Kota H O area for generations. They come in for their daily needs, maybe some tea leaves, sugar, or washing powder. The shop itself is quite old and the wooden counters have plenty of scratches on them from years of serving people. We don't try to look like one of those new shopping malls. We just keep the things that people actually need for their homes. It gets really hot in the summer months, and we just have the one old ceiling fan spinning overhead to keep us cool. We know which neighbor prefers which brand of cooking oil without them even having to ask us. It is just that kind of neighborhood shop. The inventory is tucked away in every corner, and sometimes we have to use a tall ladder to get something down from the top shelf. It is a lot of physical work, especially when the heavy sacks of flour or sugar arrive. We stay open until late in the evening because that is when people finish their jobs and realize they need something for their dinner.