Amber Mangal Karyalaya

Our hall is at 2 Mayur Colony, right on Karve Road in Kothrud. We are pretty much opposite the Kirloskar Kissan building, so people don't usually have trouble finding us. It’s a big space used for all sorts of functions, mostly marriages and family gatherings. There are always stacks of chairs that need moving or floors that need a good scrub after an event is over. Karve Road is always packed with cars and buses, so you can hear the city life right outside the doors. Inside, we have the main hall and some side rooms for the families to use. We don't have a lot of fancy decorations because people usually bring their own when they rent the place. My day usually involves showing people around the hall and explaining where the electricity points are. It gets very hot in Pune during the summer, so the big fans are always running. We’ve had this place for a while and it’s seen a lot of celebrations. Sometimes the plumbing acts up and we have to call someone to fix it, just like any other building. It’s a practical space for the community. We don't put on any airs; it’s just a solid building where people can get together for their special occasions. After the guests leave, we spend hours cleaning up the trash and putting things back in their places for the next day. Sometimes the heavy curtains get stuck but we just pull harder to close them up.