Subhash Masala Store

If you walk down Teliwara Road near the Shahdara Mandi, you’ll probably smell us before you see us. We are at Plot 510, right in the thick of things. It’s a loud, crowded area but that’s Shahdara for you. We deal with masalas all day long, so everything in the shop has that strong, spicy scent that sticks to your clothes. It’s been our spot for years. Dealing with the Mandi crowds can be a bit much some days, with the carts and the noise starting so early in the morning. We spend a lot of time weighing out powders and seeds for people who come in. Some days the dust from the spices makes us sneeze, but you get used to it after a while. The floor is usually covered in a bit of turmeric yellow or chili red by the afternoon. We don’t have any fancy displays or anything like that. It’s mostly just sacks of goods and jars lined up where people can see them. Most of our customers are neighbors or people who’ve been buying from us since their kids were small. We just try to keep the stock fresh and the scales balanced. It’s a simple business, nothing corporate about it. We open up early, sweep the front, and get to work. Sometimes the traffic outside makes it hard for deliveries to pull up, but we manage somehow. It is just a regular life in Teliwara.