Sona Mithaiwala

If you walk through Bara Bazar in Shahdara, you will find Sona Mithaiwala at shop number 229. We have been making sweets here for quite some time now. The bazar is always full of people, especially during the festivals when everyone wants something sugary. Inside our shop, it stays pretty hot because the stoves are almost always going. We make things like laddoos, barfis, and sometimes savory snacks too. It is not a quiet place. You can hear the bubbling of the syrup and the clinking of the metal trays. We use a lot of milk and sugar, and the smell of cardamom and ghee is always in the air. Shop 229 is a bit old-fashioned, and we like it that way. We don't have any modern decorations or fancy seating. People just come to the counter, pick what they want, and go. It’s a very local vibe, and we know many of our regular customers by their faces. Working in Shahdara means being part of a busy community. Sometimes it gets overwhelming when the crowds are thick, but we just keep cooking and serving. It is basic, honest work that keeps us on our feet all day long. We just want to make sure the sweets are fresh when they go out the door. That is really all there is to it for us. We just keep the kitchen running and the trays full.