Bhanwarlal Hareshkumar

We are located at 613 Timaliwadi in the Raviwar Peth area of Surat. This is a very old part of the city and our business has been here for a long time. It was started by Bhanwarlal and Hareshkumar and we have kept it going in the same way. The streets are so narrow here that you can barely fit a car, so it's mostly people on foot and bicycles. Our shop is filled with piles of cloth and different materials. It is a bit dark inside because the sun doesn't reach down into these lanes very well. We use bright tube lights so we can see the colors of the fabrics properly. The building itself is quite old with wooden beams and thick walls. We don't have a showroom with glass cases. We just lay out the goods on a big wooden table for the customers to see. It is a very busy atmosphere with people shouting and carts rattling past the door. I spend my day checking the stock and talking to the traders who come from all over. We drink many cups of tea and talk about the market. It is a traditional way of doing business, based on knowing people for years. We don't have a website or any modern advertisements. The shop is a bit messy with threads and plastic wraps, but it’s our way of life. It is just a normal day in Raviwar Peth.