Sakar Leather & Luggage

Our little spot is at 4 Anandnilay on Vallabh Yog Street. If you know Kothrud, you know it can get a bit crowded, but our street is usually okay. We deal with leather and all sorts of luggage. The smell of leather is the first thing you notice when you walk inside. It’s a strong scent that sticks to your clothes. We have bags hanging from the walls and suitcases piled up near the back. People come in looking for something sturdy. They touch the material and pull at the seams to make sure it’s real. We don’t say much, just let them look. Sometimes we are busy stitching a strap back on or oiling a dry piece of leather. It’s honest work. The shop isn’t very big, so we have to be organized. My hands are often stained from the dyes or the polish we use. Kothrud has changed a lot over the years, but we’ve stayed right here in this building. We see the same faces walking past every morning. Usually, it’s students or people heading to work. On weekends, families come in. They are usually planning a big holiday. We help them find something that fits in a car trunk or an overhead bin. It’s just us here, doing what we know how to do with bags and leather goods every single day. The light in the back of the shop is a bit dim, but we manage just fine.