Mukesh Juti Maker

Our shop is right over at B-38/148 Jajian Street, near Top Khanna More. If you are walking around Patiala, you might miss the turn if you aren't looking. It is a small place but we have enough room for the leather and the tools. We wake up, open the shutters, and start looking at the orders for the day. Making jutis is slow work if you want to do it right. My back hurts a bit by five o’clock from leaning over the bench. We see a lot of people walking by on their way to the market. Sometimes they stick their head in just to say hello. The floor has scraps of thread and leather clippings everywhere. We try to sweep up but it just gets messy again in an hour. Being in 147001 means we are right in the middle of everything. We don't use big machines that make a lot of noise. It is mostly just hand tools and old wooden blocks. The light isn't the best in the back corner but we make it work. Every shoe is a little different because that is how things go when you do it yourself. We don't have a fancy sign or a website. Most people just know where we are because we’ve been here for years. It’s a quiet life mostly, just working with our hands day after day. We just keep the shop open and do our job for whoever needs shoes.