Meet Madurai’s ‘pen doctor’ keeping a 55-year-old trade alive
A pen repairman in Madurai has maintained his trade for 55 years, despite the decline in demand caused by the digital revolution. While his business faces challenges from modern technology, he continues to serve a niche market, including schoolchildren who still rely on traditional writing instruments.
Why it matters
The story serves as a poignant look at the preservation of traditional crafts in an increasingly digitized world and the resilience of small-scale artisans.
At around 10 every morning, he returns to the same spot near the East Gate of the Meenakshi Amman Temple. By 2pm, he leaves. At 5pm, he is back again, staying until 8. For 55 years, this has been his routine.His workplace is near Naveen Bakery, where he repairs and services pens - a trade he learnt from his father and has continued even as the world around writing has changed dramatically.“Ever since computers came, my pen-repair business has been struggling. Sales aren’t as they used to be,” he told Heritage Madurai. The arrival of computers changed how people worked and wrote, and gradually made the repair of everyday writing instruments less common. Pens that might once have been brought back for servicing are now often replaced. “Few customers come to buy pens or get them serviced,” he said.
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