Kishan Lal Chowdhary & Sons

If you find yourself in S. S. Market on Sevoke Road, you’ll probably walk right past us if you aren't looking. Kishan Lal Chowdhary & Sons has been tucked away in this corner of Darjeeling for a long time. The market is always crowded and the weather up here can turn cold fast, especially in the winter evenings. We’ve got a small space filled with stuff we’ve gathered over the years. It’s a family-run place and we don’t really do things the modern way. My sons help out when they can and we spend most of our time talking to the regulars who have been coming to us since the beginning. Sevoke Road is always humming with cars and people going up to the hills. We keep the shop open late most days because there is always something left to finish. The walls could use a fresh coat of paint and the floor is a bit uneven, but it’s home to us. We don’t have a marketing team or a fancy website. Most people find us because their father or grandfather told them where we were. Being in Darjeeling means things move a bit slower sometimes, and we like it that way. We just show up, open the shutters, and see what the day brings. It’s a simple life and we aren’t looking to change much about how we operate in this market.