Atharva Embroidery

Our workshop is at 326, Lane No. 4 in Shrawasti Nagar, over in the Ghorpadi area. It’s a narrow lane, so it’s hard to bring big vehicles in. Most of the time, the sound of the embroidery machines is the only thing you hear. It’s a rhythmic clicking that we don’t even notice anymore. We have several machines set up in a row. The floor is usually covered in little bits of thread and fabric scraps. We try to sweep it up, but it just comes back. It’s a small space, so we have to be careful where we step. There are spools of thread in every color you can imagine on the walls. We spend our days watching the patterns take shape. It’s detailed work, and sometimes our eyes get tired by the end of the day. We aren't a big factory, just a local spot where we do things carefully. The light in the room is bright so we can see the stitches clearly. People from around Ghorpadi know where we are. We don't have a receptionist; you just walk in and find someone at a machine. It’s a humble setup, but it’s what we know how to do. We just keep our heads down and focus on the needles moving up and down. It’s a steady kind of work that we enjoy. Each day is about the thread and the fabric.