Dhanlaxmi Steel Bhandar

Dhanlaxmi Steel Bhandar sits right in the middle of Dhanakawadi. If you look inside, you’ll see stacks of steel pots, buckets, and pans reaching almost to the ceiling. We have everything from tiny spoons to those massive vessels used for cooking at weddings. The metal always has that cold, clean smell when you walk in. I’ve spent many years helping people pick out the right size of tiffin boxes for their kids. The shop floor is narrow because we try to fit as much stock as possible into every corner. Sometimes a customer wants something from the very bottom of a stack, and we have to move twenty other pots just to get to it. It’s a bit of a workout every time. We don't have air conditioning, just a ceiling fan that clicks on every single turn. The noise of the street comes right in through the open front since we don't have a door. People come here when they are setting up a new kitchen or when a daughter is getting married. We keep the brass items in the back because they tarnish if they sit in the sun for too long. My father started this place, and I just took over when he got too old to lift the heavy crates. We write the prices on the bottom of the plates with a black marker. It isn't a high-tech operation at all. We just sell good steel that lasts for a long time. The door hinge squeaks, but we never seem to remember to oil it.