Arun Shet

My name is Arun Shet and I spend most of my days over at Padmanabha Jewellery. We are located on Kanakdas Road right here in Udupi. It’s a busy street with lots of people walking by all the time. I’ve been working with jewelry for quite some time now. It’s more of a traditional setup. We don't have those big glass walls like the malls do. It’s just a counter and some benches. People come in to look at pieces or maybe get something fixed that’s been in their family for a while. I like being on Kanakdas Road because it feels like the heart of the town. You see the same faces every week. I usually start early in the morning, getting the shop ready. It’s a small space, but we make it work. Sometimes it’s just me here, other times a family member helps out. We don't do much advertising, mostly just people telling their friends to come by. The work requires a lot of focus and steady hands. If you are walking down towards the main temple area, you’ll probably pass us. Udupi is a small place in some ways, and everyone knows everyone else eventually. I grew up around this trade, so it feels natural to be behind the counter. It's a quiet life, mostly just focusing on the gold and the customers who come to visit.