Business Spotlight: Shakya Trading
Sagar Shakya, owner of Shakya Trading (Photos by Steven Yen Photography)
Shakya Trading
82-A Mulberry St.
(212) 227-1035
shakyatradinginc.com
Welcome to Chinatown spoke with Sagar Shakya, owner of Shakya Trading. For three generations, his family has painstakingly created handmade Buddhist statues, including all statues in his retail store and online shop. Shakya Trading sells a variety of Buddhist cultural and religious goods, jewelry, gifts, and is a Longevity Fund grant recipient.
Tell us about yourself!
Shakya Trading sells handmade goods from Nepal, focused on Tibetan and Chinese Buddhism. I come from a family of Nepalese metal crafters, and we started doing business in the U.S. 30 years ago. At first, we would come and go to bring statues. In 2004, we started a business presence in the U.S., and after I got my green card, I opened this shop in Chinatown in 2009. Online, you can’t see the level of detail that goes into each piece we create, so it’s good that customers can come see the products in person.
Nothing in the store is mass-produced. All statues, including the big Buddha in the back of the store, are made by our company in Nepal. Last year, we made an 18-foot Buddha statue for a temple in San Francisco, and we delivered it before the pandemic.
Tell us more about projects featured on your website!
There’s a lot of work to make a statue by hand, so it takes a long time. Small two-foot statues take five to six months to complete. A big statue can take two to three years. You can see gold-plated statues we’ve made nationwide from upstate New York to Sacramento.
“Our revenues are down over 50%. Very few people visit my store. Nobody has it easy in Chinatown.”
Can you describe the process of making a new statue?
First, we make a clay model of the sculpture, then a mold is created from the model. Once the mold sets, we remove the clay model, and pour molten metal inside to create the shape of the statue. Once the metal cools, we break open the mold, and apply gold plating and hand paint the details.
Can you talk a bit more about your family’s history in metalcraft work?
We’ve been in this business for three generations. At the beginning, we made all types of metal craftwork, then my father started making metal artwork, which became more in demand.
Who are your customers?
About 80% of our customers practice Chinese or Tibetan Buddhism. We primarily focus on monasteries, and some Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist associations.
How has the pandemic affected your business?
Our revenues are down over 50%. We are a small store. Look around the neighborhood, lots of stores are closing. Regular customers are still ordering, but retail is doing very poorly. Very few people visit my store. Nobody has it easy in Chinatown.
At first, people weren’t coming to Chinatown because they thought the virus was coming from China. These customers were scared to come, but the virus wasn’t just in Chinatown, it’s in the whole world. It’s also because there’s no indoor dining now. When indoor dining was back, more people would come to Chinatown to eat, then would walk by and see our stuff, and I could get some retail business.
How will the Longevity Fund grant help your business?
Money is very difficult right now, but we can survive. The grant will help us pay rent. All the fundraising happening now is good for the community — I know many people who are receiving support. It’s great that young people are involved in community work.
“The grant will help us pay rent. All the fundraising happening now is good for the community.”
What’s a favorite memory you have from the store?
I always enjoy the Chinese festivals in the street. People come all the way from upstate for four to five days to see. Those days were very good for business too!
What are your hopes for Chinatown after the pandemic?
I hope we can return to the same as before — we have to. After the pandemic, I hope people come back for Chinese food. I hope we get to the point where we can have indoor dining again. It’s crucial to the neighborhood — people come here for the food.
If you’d like to support Shakya Trading, stop by at 82A Mulberry Street (between Canal and Bayard Streets), or visit their online shop for singing bowls, prayer wheels, prayer flags, and more!
Chinatown establishments like Shakya Trading are what makes the spirit of our neighborhood. Please consider making a donation to our small business relief fund, The Longevity Fund, or help us spread the word of what’s at stake. Together, we can preserve Chinatown businesses and help ensure Chinatown will always be open for business.
