Kothari General Store

You can find Kothari General Store right at Delhi Gate in the Bapu Bazar area of Udaipur. This part of the city is always crowded with tourists and locals alike. Our shop is one of many, but we’ve been around longer than most. We sell a variety of general items that people use in their everyday lives. It’s a lot of standing around and talking to people who are just passing through or coming in for their weekly supplies. The building is old, with thick walls that stay cool even when the Udaipur sun is beating down outside. I keep the bins of grain near the back and the smaller items like soaps and toothbrushes up front where people can see them. Bapu Bazar is a noisy place, with motorcycles and rickshaws constantly going by. Inside, it’s a bit quieter, smelling of various dry goods. I handle most of the work myself, though my nephew helps on the weekends. We don't use computers much; I still prefer writing everything down in my ledger. It feels more real that way. Sometimes we run out of a particular brand, but people are usually patient. We’ve built a lot of trust over the years just by being here every day. It’s a simple business, really, just buying and selling and keeping the accounts straight. That's how we've always done it at Delhi Gate.