Mithun Dai: The Cobbler Who Stitched His Life Together

Mithun Dai: The Cobbler Who Stitches His Life Together

On a chilly winter morning in Kalikasthan, Mithun Ram—affectionately known as Mithun Dai—sits cross-legged on a broken legged chair, surrounded by a sea of shoes waiting for his skilled hands. A gentle man in his early sixties, his fingers weave stories much like the leather he carefully stitches.

Born in 2032 BS in Saptari, Mithun Dai arrived in Kathmandu in 2051 with nothing but hope and a hunger for survival. He soon found work as a laborer. After sometime, Mithun found his calling in cobbling. “I learned the skills at Bashbari Karkhana near Gangalaal Hospital,” he shares, his eyes reflecting nostalgia. It wasn’t an easy start. After the training he started working on his own. He earned 20-30 Rupees per day, he and his friends would pool their earnings to catch the latest films. 

He has worked tirelessly, mastering the art of polishing, resoling, reheeling, and intricate leatherwork. “The first few years were hard,” he admits, “but now, this work has given me everything.”

For 32 years, Mithun Dai has occupied different spots in Kalikasthan. “I used to have my things in between the stairs down there for sometime” he points towards it.  He has a cluster of shoes hanging from nearby poles marking his workspace—a signal to familiar faces that the cobbler is in business. He says with a smile, “That is the way of letting people know that I am here.”

Rain or shine, he starts early, working from 8 AM to 9 PM in winter and extending hours in summer. He is prepared for all the weather with tarpaulin. He is in business until dark. “The solar lights which are around this place helps me see during the night.” he says pointing towards the nearby electric poles around him. “But this place feels like home.” His earnings of Rs. 20,000–30,000 a month sustain his household, and he states that his materials, sourced from Biratnagar, are always top quality.

Mithun Dai’s face lights up when he speaks about his children. “All three of them were born and studied up to grade 10 in Kathmandu,” he says proudly. Today, they are settled back in Saptari—his sons working in furniture and office jobs, and his daughter running a tailoring shop with her husband in Rajbiraj.

His sacrifices have paid off. “I couldn’t give them riches, but I gave them education and skills,” he says. He even passed down his cobbling techniques to apprentices now working in Pokhara, Muglin, and other parts of Nepal.

Despite decades in Kathmandu, Mithun Dai’s heart still beats for his hometown in Madhesh. He travels there during festivals, yearning for the vibrancy of lights, music, and celebration that Kathmandu lacks. “It’s too quiet here,” he laughs. “Back home, there’s always life.”

Mithun also prides himself on being multilingual. Fluent in Maithili, Nepali, Hindi, and can understand Punjabi and Kashmiri, he credits videos for helping him learn new languages. “You can learn anything nowadays,” he remarks, his voice tinged with admiration for modern technology.

Married at 19 to his 15-year-old bride, Mithun Dai had to wait four years before bringing her with him. It was a different time, he reflects, when social rituals shaped decisions. Yet, despite the hardships, he has built a life of stability and respect.

His rented place is just a few minutes from his workspace, and he treasures the simplicity of his daily routine. “Owning a shop would be too expensive,” he explains, “but this place is enough for me.”

Mithun Dai’s hands have repaired countless shoes, yet they’ve also stitched together a life. 

As the morning sun rises higher, customers start trickling in, greeting him with familiarity and warmth. Mithun Dai adjusts his tools, ready to tackle another day of work. For this cobbler, every stitch tells a story, and every sole he repairs leaves an imprint far beyond the streets of Kalikasthan.