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Shopping |
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Shopping is an adventure of a vibrant kind in India. Exotic images of
an India, of silk, spices and saris are alive even today in
quintessential bazaars where the passing of time has little meaning.
Like some other aspects of India, its shopping experience is full of
contrasts. Here, chaotic and irresistible medieval shops in narrow
lanes with a churning mass of cyclists, buses and deafening honks of
fast-paced cars rub shoulders with sprawling modern shopping malls.
Visitors can carry home a slice of India's multi-faceted culture
that thrives on its pulsating streets and malls. Dynamic satin cloth
embroideries, roadside kitsch of grotesque leather masks and
brilliant brass idols vie with ropes of bewildering beads and bells
and an exhilarating array of enamel work. This explosion of colour
and pageant is sure to take one's breath away.
India's potpourri of shopping choices includes vivacious garments,
textiles, metalwork, Jewellery, furniture, brass, silver, copper,
gold, silks and brocades, leather goods, carpets and an unending
list of buys. With over a decade of liberalisation tucked under its
belt, India is also home to the latest in designer wear. The
excellent value for money products, are sure to have visitors
looking for an extra suitcase to carry home.
Although the best bargains are available in regions producing the
specific handicraft, most products are available in major metros of
New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The
uninitiated traveller, not familiar with the ethos of the Indian
market concept, will find the government-owned Central Cottage
Industries Emporia, an apt introduction to the handicrafts of India.
››Sharpen your bargaining skills:
-- Read about India before leaving. This will give a better
understanding of its social milieu;
-- Check with your hotel about shopping hours and closing days
before you set out to shop;
-- India does not have a culture of large super markets and
department stores;
-- Major cities have government emporiums with fixed prices and
quality goods. They may sometimes be a bit more expensive than
roadside shops but are reliable;
-- Every city has a local bazaar. Bargaining is routine.
Compare prices before bargaining for an item. You could start
your research at the fixed-price government emporiums;
-- Establish goodwill. Never insult the merchant. Let the
seller (shopkeeper) make the first offer;
-- Using odd numbers such as Rs. 530 for example, may lead the
merchant to think you are a seasoned haggler;
--Start with a 40% discount from the asking price. Your next
offer should be 35%. The seller will probably counter with a 20%
discount.
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Books and Music |
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India is the perfect place to pick up good quality fiction, coffee
table and college books at almost 40 percent less than prices in the
West. There are some interesting cassettes and CDs available on
Indian classical music in Planet M and Music World stores present in
major cities. |
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Carpets |
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Carpets of silk and cotton have been popular exports dating back
centuries. Even today, plush silk carpets, perfected under Mughal
design sensibilities, are great take-aways. Fine knotted cotton
durries as well as sturdy rugs and Islamic prayer rugs or kilims
from Rajasthan are good value for money. Lightweight durries (floor coverings) are available in numerous
styles. The states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan (woollen durries),
Uttar Pradesh (geometrical patterns) and Tamil Nadu (stylized
patterns) are important weaving centers. Pile carpets were introduced from Iran to Kashmir in the 15th
century. Here carpet making follows the shawl-weaving tradition, its
designs are based on Persian and central Asian styles. Kashmir is
also known for other types of floor coverings, known as the Namdas,
Hook rugs and Gabbas. Namdas are made of felted wool and cotton and
are embroidered with woollen chain stitches. The hook rug is made
with chain stitch embroidery worked with a hook called ahri. A thick
jute cloth is embroidered fully so that the base material is not
visible. The Gabba is an appliqué done on worn-out woollen blankets.
Carpets produced in Agra and Amritsar have fine quality patterns on
a red, ivory, green and black background. Jaipur in Rajasthan
produces quality carpets, which vary from 80 knots to 120 knots per
square inch. Most of them have geometrical patterns. Mirzapur and
Bhadoi also make quality carpet varieties. Andhra Pradesh produces
geometrical patterned carpets of quality of around 30 to 60 knots
per square inch.
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Know Your Silk |
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Despite rapid industrialization, most of the age-old centres of
handloom textiles continue to produce beautifully woven fabrics.
Today silk is not just restricted to saris. It is also sold by the
yard.Indian silks are in great demand with foreign designers who use them
extensively in fashion garments.
Government and private outlets stock silks all over India. The
heavier variety can be used for drapes and upholstery. A wide range
of ladies' and men's wear like dupattas, garments, fabrics, caps,
handkerchiefs, scarves, dhotis, turbans, shawls, ghagras or lehengas,
and even quilts, bedcovers, cushions, table-cloths, curtains are
made of silk. Brocade borders can be used imaginatively to design
clothes, cushions and scarves. Handlooms form the warp and weft of a region. Just as Patola or
Ikat is distinctive to Andhra Pradesh , Kanchipuram saris are
associated with Tamil Nadu, cripe de Chine, georgette, chiffon and
soft silk with Karnataka, and the typical cream, gold-bordered saris
in cotton and silk, with Kerala.
Every part of India offers its own special variety of rich silk and
its own individual colours and weaves. The bridal brocade saris
sometimes embedded with semi precious stones and sparkling gold
threaded beads from Benaras transform well into the modern apparel
sensibility as stoles and scarves. Gold Muga silks from Assam make
great yardage for dresses, as do the vibrant raw silks from
Bangalore, the heart of India's sericulture trade.
Varanasi (formerly Banaras) is one of the leading silk sari
producing centres of India. It is known for its heavy gold-silver
brocades for which hair- thin wires of gold are used with silk yarn
for weaving. Amru silk, Jamvar, Navrangi (nine colours) and Jamdani
are all brocades from Varanasi.
Patola silk saris are the pride of Gujarat. These saris are created
by using the resist dyeing technique. Patola saris are of two kinds:
the Rajkot patola that is vertically-resist dyed (single ikat), and
the Patan patola, horizontally-resist dyed (double ikat). Patola
saris are known for their flaming bright colours and geometric
designs interspersed with folk motifs.
Paithani silk saris from Maharashtra come in contrasting colour
combinations. Paithanis are generally decorated with a gold dot or
coin motif.
Ganeshpur, a village in Bhandara district in Maharashtra is famous
for the Kosa silk (cocoon). In this village silk has been produced
and exported ever since 1871.
The state of Madhya Pradesh is famous for Chanderi, Maheshwari and
Tussar silk saris.
Chanderi sari is known for its soft colours and the harmonious
balance between the border and the body of the sari. These saris are
also known for their contrasting colours and the depiction of animal
and human figures on them.
Maheshwari sari has elaborate patterns and border, with exotic
motifs done in zari and pleasant colours, both inspired by nature.
Tussar silk or Kosa silk is valued for its purity and texture as it
is available naturally in shades of gold-pale, dark, honey, tawny,
beige and cream. Tussar is a special variety of silk, as the cocoons
are raised on Arjun and Sal trees. Tussar silk is also produced in
Bihar.
Bomkai Sambalpuri saris from Orissa are in single and double ikat.
In contrast to the ikats of Gujarat, theses saris are sober in
colour and decorated with curved forms.
Murshidabad, West Bengal is home of the famous Baluchari sari. The
Baluchar technique of weaving uses untwisted silk thread for weaving
brocades. The 'pallu' (sari part that goes across the shoulder) of
this sari has patterns that resemble miniature paintings.
Heavy silk saris from Tanjore, Kumbakonam and Kanchipuram in Tamil
Nadu are known for their broad decorative borders and contrasting
colours. Saris from Kolegal and Molkalmoru in Karnataka have a
simple ikat weave with parrot motif on the borders, the ikat always
being white. Sangareddy and Dharmaswaram in Andhra Pradesh too,
specialize in ikat silk weave.
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Know Your Cotton |
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Jamdanis are amongst the most exclusive of muslins. These muslins have
lyrical names like Shabnam (evening dew), Malmal Khas (muslin
reserved for kings) and Abrawan (flowing water). The base fabric for
Jamdanis is unbleached cotton yarn and the design is woven using
bleached cotton yarns so that a shadow effect is created.
Venkatagiris are saris of the Jamdani technique with stylized motifs
woven in half cotton and half gold threads. Ikat saris from
Karnataka and the Narayanpet textiles from Andhra Pradesh are
sought-after cotton textiles. Gadwal and Wanaparti produce materials
of thick cotton, mostly in checks with a contrasting silk border and
pallu worked in gold. Nander is famous for its fine quality cotton
saris richly worked in gold thread with silk border.
Bandhani materials are made using resist- dyeing techniques
popularly known as 'Tie and Dye’. These patterns are commonly seen
on long scarves (chunnis), saris and turbans. The state of Gujarat
and the princely land of Rajasthan have long been famous for
practising this style. Kalamkari - The Coromandel Coast of India has
been the source of some of the most beautiful floral-designed cotton
fabrics using brushes or pens. This painted cloth of Southeast India
had been known as "Pintado" by the Portuguese and "Chintz" by the
English
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Jewellery |
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Different regions of India have jewellery traditions and styles unique
to them. Popular styles that have passed on for centuries include
fine filigree work in silver from Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, the art
of enamelling or Meenakari from Jaipur, temple jewellery from
Nagercoil and Kundan or the setting of semi-precious or precious
stones in gold from Delhi. Every metro has a gold bazaar. A walk
across Zaveri bazaar in Mumbai, for instance, will give an idea of
India's contemporary and classic jewellery-traditions.
Chaste silver and gold, as well as precious stones, are great value
for money in India. The emphasis is on heavy detailing. There are
many jewellery centres specializing in local styles. In northern
India, the best work can be found in Jaipur, Kutch, Bikaner and
Murshidabad.For a more contemporary look, try a Kutchikaam bangle or
anklet - the chunky embossed silver of Gujarat. You can also do the
rounds of flea markets and walk away with 'duplicate' Meenakari
enamelled necklaces, ornate gem studded armbands and genuine glass
bangles in eye-catching colours and designs.
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Jewellery Style |
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Meenakari and Kundan are styles from Jaipur and Delhi influenced by
the Mughals. The jewellery can be worn on both sides. The temple
jewellery of Nagercoil has traditional gold ornaments studded with
red and green semi-precious stones.
In Assam, soft 24 carat gold is fashioned into earrings and necklaces
modelled on local flora and fauna for instance, earrings resembling
the orchid. In Nagaland, gold is used to craft imitations of the
human head and long funnel shaped beads are used in combination with
shells, animal claws and teeth and precious and semi-precious
stones.
The designs in solid gold jewellery of Tamil Nadu and Kerala are
inspired by nature. Silversmiths of Himachal Pradesh craft large
delicate and intricate ornaments. Head-dresses called chak, long
earnngs and large nose-rings with peepal leaf or bird motifs are the
specialties of the region. In Ladakh, silver charm boxes and
head-dresses called perak with rows of turquoise, cornelian, coral
and agate stitched onto it, are a common sight.
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Know your jewellery |
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Colour varies with the stone. Generally a stone with a uniform and
deep colour is of greater value. Carat is a measure of the purity of
gold, whereas carat indicates the weight of a gemstone.
Natural stones are formed by nature and are scarce. If a stone is
flawless, it might be synthetic. Simulated stones are the cheapest
of all. In these, the optical properties closely resemble the real
gem, but the chemical properties are different. A jeweller would
easily know the difference. An example is a spinal or zircon versus
a diamond.
Imitation stones may be made of glass or plastic, or may be composite
stones consisting of a thin slice of the gem material beneath
(doublet) or between (triplet) other material of no value. Natural
pearls are rare. Cultured pearls are formed in exactly the same way
as natural pearls, with the difference being that man has
deliberately inserted an "irritant" (small bead) into oysters.
Simulated pearls look like the real thing, many of them are plastic!
A gemstone should have visual beauty, durability, and rarity. Some
of India's designers now rub shoulders with the best names of Paris
catwalks.
Names like Ritu Kumar, Rohit Bal, Ravi Bajaj, Suneet Verma, Jatin
Kochar, and Tarun Tehliani are the ones to look for.
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Healing Gems |
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The Navaratna or the necklace of nine gems is an exquisite piece of
jewellery. The Navaratna consists of diamond, ruby, emerald, coral,
pearl, sapphire, garnet, topaz and the cat's eye. This combination
of gems is considered highly auspicious and protection against
disease for the wearer. According to astrology, the planets watch
over each gem to give it their potency. Ruby gives energy. Emerald
is an antidote for all stomach complaints. Coral helps the memory,
pearls are good for the heart, sapphire for enlightenment. Topaz is
said to bring wealth and the cat's eye, strength. |
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