Swaraj Hair Cutting

Swaraj Hair Cutting has been a fixture at Gandhi Chowk in the Mhada area of Kurduvadi for a long time. This is a small place in Solapur where everyone pretty much knows everyone else. I spend most of my day behind the chair with a pair of scissors or a razor in my hand. It is a simple barber shop. We have the old-style mirrors and a few benches for people to sit on while they wait their turn. Gandhi Chowk is always a bit noisy with the traffic and people moving around, and that sound filters into the shop all day. We don't have any fancy air conditioning or anything like that, just a couple of ceiling fans that keep the air moving. Most of the men from the local Mhada colony come here for their regular trim or a shave. We talk about the local news, the weather, or whatever else is happening in Kurduvadi. It is a very basic setup. I clean the floor after every few customers and try to keep the towels fresh, though it gets hard when we are really busy. There is no complicated booking system here. You just show up, wait your turn, and sit in the chair. It is honest work and it keeps the lights on. I have been doing this for years and I don't see myself doing anything else. It is just a neighborhood hair cutting shop for the local people who need a quick cut.