Gopal Gen. Store

If you walk through Khojwa Bazar in Varanasi, you’ll find Gopal Gen. Store. We are right in the heart of the Khojwa area, which is always full of life. It’s an old part of the city and our shop fits right in with the rest of the market. We have all sorts of items crammed into the shelves. It’s a bit tight sometimes, but we know where everything is kept. Running a store in Varanasi means you get to talk to all kinds of people every day. We open up early because the market starts moving as soon as the sun is up. There is no big management team here. It’s just us doing the work, from ordering stock to sweeping the floor. We sell things that people need for their kitchens and daily chores. Sometimes the cows wander by the front door or the rickshaws get stuck in the narrow lane outside. It’s just the way it is here. We don’t try to be anything we aren’t. It’s just a reliable place for the neighbors to get their supplies. We’ve seen the bazar change over the years, but our shop stays pretty much the same. We focus on getting the work done and making sure the shelves aren't empty. It’s a lot of hours, but we are used to the rhythm of the Khojwa Bazar by now. It is a noisy place but we wouldn't want to be anywhere else. The people are nice and that is enough.