Laxmi Murti Bhandar

Our shop, Laxmi Murti Bhandar, is on Mahatma Gandhi Road. We are quite close to the Vithal Bhagwan Mandoir. Being near the temple feels right for what we do. We spend our days making murtis and talking to the people who walk by on their way to pray. It’s a busy street, especially on festival days or weekends. We usually have a few pieces sitting out on the sidewalk so people can see the work. The shop is old and the walls could probably use a fresh coat of paint, but we are too busy to worry about that. We have hammers, chisels, and stone everywhere. It’s a noisy business, but the temple sounds nearby kind of balance it out. We’ve been on Mahatma Gandhi Road for many years now. My father worked here before me, and I’m just doing what he taught me. We don’t have any fancy marketing. We just hope that if we do a good job on a statue, the next person will hear about it. Sometimes the stone is hard and stubborn, and it takes twice as long as we thought. We don’t complain though. It’s just part of the craft. We like the community here and we plan on staying put for a long time. It’s a simple life, focused on the stone and the tools.