Balaji Marble

If you find yourself in the Dune Market area of Bargawan Katni, you’ll probably see our yard. We have piles of marble sitting out in the open. It’s a simple setup. We’ve been at this spot for a long time. People from around Katni know us mostly by word of mouth. We don’t really do ads or anything. The stone comes in from the quarries, and we sort through it. Some pieces have better veins than others, and we just categorize them so people can choose what they need. It’s a lot of lifting and shifting. My brother handles the loading most days. We get a lot of dust on our clothes, and the tea guy comes by twice a day, which is the highlight for most of us. The marble business isn't as glamorous as people think. It's heavy, it's dirty, and it takes a lot of space. But there is something nice about seeing a raw block turn into something smooth. We don't have a fancy showroom. Everything is just right there on the ground for you to see. Rain makes the stone look different, so we often tell people to come back when it’s dry to get a real look at the color. It’s just a regular local business trying to get through the week and pay the bills on time.