Mangu Mal Hans Raj

Our place is located at shop number 24 in the Old Anaj Mandi. We are right by the Nabha Gate and directly across from the Shiv Mandir in the Kishan Nagar area. It is a very old and traditional part of the city. This business has been kept in our family for several generations now. My grandfather started it, then my father took over, and now it is my turn. We deal mostly with grains and pulses. Being located right inside the Anaj Mandi means it gets incredibly loud and chaotic in the early mornings. There are wooden carts, old trucks, and tractors everywhere you look. We have to open up very early to catch the start of the day’s market. The shop is usually filled to the ceiling with heavy sacks of different things. It has that specific smell of dry earth and grain inside. We know just about everyone else working in the Mandi. We’ve grown up around these people and their families. Sometimes when the main rush is over, we sit on the old wooden benches outside and just talk. We don’t use any computers or modern software for our accounting work. We still use the same type of red ledgers my father used. It feels right to keep things that way. The temple across the street is a constant landmark for us. We see the people coming for prayers all day long. It is a hard life, but it's ours.