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There’s something about the street barbershops in India and the old-school charm they exude.
It takes little investment in India to start a street barber shop, and these shops are popular because they are affordable and convenient for many people.
What inspired me to write it is the street barber I see daily on the second last turn before I reach my office.
Like many others, this barber has set up his shop under a tree by a cemented pole, using stacked broken cement pieces as a table for his few shaving and hair-cutting tools. The desi iron highchair with a creative add-on for head support and an old wooden framed mirror is his only significant investment for his business.
Every morning, he sets up his simple chair and lays out his tools, ready to start another day of providing different services like haircuts, shaves, beard trims, and even facials or head massages.
Resting in the chair, the customer sits serenely, head gently tilted on the headrest, gazing at the mirror hanging from the tree. The afternoon breeze rustles the leaves overhead, caressing his face as he prepares to relax for the next 15–20 minutes. The barber’s hands move gently across his face, the scent of shaving cream fills the air, and as the razor moves effortlessly across his skin, this brief respite disconnects the customer from the bustling chaos of the world outside.
If possible, I would have liked to try one of these services at least once. I imagine sitting in the open, getting a shave, and listening to the barber’s life stories along with some 90’s Bollywood romantic melodies.
These shops are a social hub for the people where they gather to spend their free time chatting, sharing stories, discussing local news, and sometimes just to simply sit and watch the passers-by.
My father used to go to the local barber shop in our village, where he would spend his whole afternoon getting his hair dyed and beard trimmed, watching cricket matches on a tiny old television in the corner of the barber’s shop. Seems like it was a pretty peaceful escape for him from the household.
At the end of the day, he closes his shop by placing his chair on the table, covering it with a tarpaulin, and packing his tools and products into his bag.
These shops closed for the day, yet exposed without walls and locks, I often wonder and think that this is the most Indian thing where you can secure your open shop by just covering it up, and theft is rarely a concern.
Street barbers are such an integral part of the Indian street culture. Despite modernization, these humble establishments stay the same, giving more than just haircuts — a sense of community and tradition.