Royal Handicrafts

If you walk behind the Taj Mahal Hotel in Colaba, you’ll find Devi Das Mansion. That’s where Royal Handicrafts is located. It is a busy part of the city, always full of people walking by and the sound of taxis honking. Our space is tucked away, filled with all sorts of items we’ve gathered over time. There are boxes stacked in the corners and things wrapped in bubble wrap waiting to be sent out. It’s a bit cramped sometimes because we have so much stuff, but we know where everything is. The building itself has a lot of character, old walls and big windows that let in the Mumbai heat. We spend a lot of time checking the details on the crafts and making sure nothing got chipped or broken. It’s mostly us and the sound of the ceiling fan spinning. Sometimes a tourist wanders in looking for something unique, or a local person stops by because they’ve known the shop for years. We don't really do big advertising; people mostly just find us because of where we are. It’s a lot of manual work, wrapping things up and talking to people who appreciate how things are made. The days go by fast because there is always something to reorganize or a new shipment to look through. It’s just how we do things here in Colaba, keeping it simple and focusing on the items we have on the shelves.