Maheshwari Stone & Marble

Being over here at No. 6 Marble Market on Taloja Cross Road means there is never a quiet moment. We are right near the Mumbai Pune Highway in Kalamboli, so the sound of trucks is something we have just gotten used to over the years. It is a dusty place, honestly. When the wind picks up from the highway, the marble slabs get covered in a fine layer of grit, and someone usually has to go out there with a cloth to wipe them down so people can actually see the patterns. Our yard isn't fancy. It is mostly just stacks of stone and some basic tools for moving them around. Most days start early because that is when the transporters want to unload their heavy cargo. We have a small desk tucked in the corner where the paperwork sits, and it’s usually buried under a few tape measures and some old tea cups. Working with stone is heavy work. Your back feels it by the end of the day, and your hands get rough from touching the raw edges of the marble. We spend a lot of time just talking to folks who stop by on their way through Kalamboli. Sometimes they know exactly what they want, and other times they just wander around looking at the different colors of the stone. It's a simple way to make a living, even if the rain makes the yard a bit of a mess during the monsoon months.