Sri Kanya Handicrafts

Our shop, Sri Kanya Handicrafts, is right on Sannathi Street in Kanyakumari. We are situated directly opposite the Shiva Temple, so we get to hear the temple bells all through the day. It is a very busy street with pilgrims and tourists walking back and forth to the water. The air always smells a bit like the sea and incense from the temple. We sell a variety of handicrafts that are common to this part of the country. The shop isn't very large, so we have to stack things quite high on the shelves to fit everything in. It can be a bit of a squeeze when more than three or four people come in at once. We spend a lot of time dusting the items because the wind brings in a lot of sand from the beach. It’s a family business, and we’ve been here for years, watching the crowds change with the seasons. During the festival times, it gets so crowded you can hardly move on Sannathi Street. We stay open late those days. We don't really have a website or anything like that, we just rely on people walking past and seeing something they like. It’s a simple way to live, being so close to the temple and the ocean. We just try to be fair with everyone and keep the shop running as best as we can. It is a busy life, but a good one.