It doesn't strike one usually that people other than pundits and alms-seekers make their living from religion. But come time for a big puja of any sort, and you realise someone has to provide the countless little items needed for it. And if you know your city well, you know Hem Narsingh's Shop in Mangal Bazaar.

An Arabian Nights fantasy of a family business that started 150 years ago, Hem Narsingh's Shop sells every item needed for all the ceremonies of our society, from birth to death. Wood chips for a yagya, huge pieces of cloth with Garudas and Ganeshas painted on them, specially coloured pots, cardamom from Guatemala, this store has it all. Run by 35-year-old Prakash Narsingh Amatya and his wife Pramila, the shop is open around the clock, not because it is good for business, but because they consider it their obligation to society. "You never know who might need what, and when. We down the shutter at night, but people can always call for us upstairs," says Prakash.

Kirti Narsingh Amatya, Prakash's great-grandfather, started the shop, which is said to have really taken off in the time of his son, Hem Narsingh. Prakash, a grandson of Hem Narsingh, is the lucky one to run it, because all his older cousins are settled abroad. He loves every minute of it. "The shop has established a name for us, we learnt all about this from our forefathers. And what's more, it is now our duty to continue providing this humble service to society," smiles Prakash.

The shop specialises in Newari ceremonial items, as well as those needed for orthodox Hindu and Buddhist rituals. This diversity ought to be the norm in Kathmandu Valley, but for some reason shops like this are hard to find, which may just be one reason it does so well. "This is the only shop of its kind around, and people come from as far as Swoyambhu to Bhaktapur to make their purchases," says Prakash. Although the rituals of the Valley's different communities seem to go strong throughout the year, the Amatyas knows better. "Sure the regular business is always there, but during the months of Paush and during Purushottam, which comes around once in three years business goes down," they explain. As for profits, they aren't as high as one might imagine, but the satisfaction the couple get out of their work is apparent in their glowing smiles.
Purna Kumari Amatya, Prakash's 75-year-old mother, leaves her son and daughter-in-law to take care of things, and can often be found basking in the sun outside the shop. From her long experience and wisdom, she reassures the young couple-and anyone else who cares to ask-that contemporary Kathmanduites seem to be getting more, rather than less, devout. We're willing to bet that will be the case as long as Hem Narsingh's little shop of wonders is around.