Shree Nath Sweets

Shree Nath Sweets is located right there at Surajpole. It’s a busy spot because of the gate and all the traffic coming into the city. I open up the shutters pretty early when the sun is just starting to come up. The first thing I do is get the milk boiling in the big vats in the back. You can see the steam coming out onto the sidewalk if you walk by in the morning. The shop isn't anything special to look at, just some old counters and a few stools. I’ve lived in this area my whole life and the shop has been here for a good chunk of it. During the festivals, we are up all night trying to keep up with the demand for sweets. My apron is usually covered in flour or sugar by noon. We use a lot of cardboard boxes and string, so there are always scraps on the floor that I have to sweep up. It gets quite hot because of the stoves, so I keep a small table fan pointed at me while I work. The regulars come in for their daily fix and we usually chat for a minute about the weather or the local news. It’s a simple life, just making sweets and watching the people pass through Surajpole. We don't use any fancy machines, mostly just our hands and some old wooden tools to get the work done.