Sri Venkateswara Dalls & General Merchants

This shop on Shivalayam Veedi has been around for a while. We are right in the middle of One Town in Vijayawada, so there is always some noise from the street. It’s a busy area and we spend most of our day moving bags and checking what’s left in the bins. Being general merchants means we deal with a lot of dalls and other staples that families use every single day. The address is 11-49-323, tucked into the row of shops here. It gets quite warm in the afternoons, but we keep the shutters up and the work goes on. Usually, someone is coming in for a few kilos of something or just checking prices. We don't have any big signs or anything like that, just the regular storefront. My family has been involved in this kind of work for years, so it feels normal to be surrounded by grain sacks and the smell of the market. Sometimes the supply trucks come late and we have to wait around to unload everything. It’s hard work, but seeing the regulars who come back every week makes it worth the effort. Shivalayam Veedi is a narrow street but it’s full of life. We try to keep things organized as best as we can in the space we have. It’s just a simple place where we try to stay honest and get through the day’s work.