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The
historic city of Hyderabad is a
shopper's delight! From the world famous
pearls to traditional arts & crafts,
from textiles of all modern brand names
to ethnic wear, the city offers an
astounding variety of shopping. And
what's more unlike many other cities,
shopping is not confines to a particular
area in Hyderabad. If you want to take
home the delights of Hyderabad, take a
stroll in many markets in the evening...
the city is bound to charm you with its
warm touch and hearty glitter.
The main shopping areas include
Basheerbagh, Abids and Nampally. You can
find everything in the biggest showrooms
form jewellery, textiles, handicrafts to
footwear, ready-mades and general goods
in the markets. Other favoured places
are Begum Bazaar (brassware), Laad
Bazaar (diamonds, pearls and precious
metals) and Mahatma Gandhi Road.
The other areas in the City, which are
turning into hubs for shoppers include
Ameerpet, Himayatnagar, Begumpet,
Somajiguda and Punjagutta. The City also
offers mega malls, these malls bring
everything under one roof from shopping
to entertainment and food, giving the
shoppers a unique experience.
Pearls & Jewellery
Carrying on the ancient prosperous pearl
trade, of the expensive, the exclusive,
and the rarest in the world, Hyderabad
still remains the pearl capital.
Artisans have over the centuries become
experts in segregating, categorizing and
polishing pearls to give them various
attractive hues. Hyderabad is today a
world leader in the pearl trade.
Hyderabad itself is known for its
bangles made of glass and lacquer and
studded with stones. In recent times,
manufacturers have started giving
varieties fancy names akin to those of
popular Hindi movies. The place to shop
for bangles of the largest variety and
at reasonable prices is the Laad Bazaar
adjacent to the historic Charminar. The
markets around the Charminar are as old
as the city itself, 400 years and more.
Laad Bazaar
(Near Charminar) World famous for
artificial stone bangles. Adorn yourself
with the most scintillating melange of
Lac bangles, richly studded with
precious and semi-precious stones,
pearls and glass beads in different
colours and shades.
Handlooms & Sarees
Hyderabad has innumerable showrooms that
showcase the most distinctive heritages
of the city - Handlooms. Dharmavaram
silk saris, with their broad borders &
woven brocaded gold patterns. Narayanpet
saris blend the native tradition with
the art of the classical weavers of
Varanasi, Venkatagiri saris, with
graceful strains of gold. Pochampalli
saris, woven using the exclusive lkat
technique, Gorgeous Gadwal that typifies
Andhra traditional style.
Handicrafts - the magic of the hands
Handicrafts and toys are among the most
sought-after pieces for the shopper in
Hyderabad. There is the Bidriware or
inlaying of sliver on black metalware
that makes lovely decorative pieces. The
art is a Persian one that became popular
in Hyderabad.
Another art that was also influenced by
Persian culture was 'Kalamkari' where a
quill is used to paint on fabric. There
are two types of Kalamkari in Andhra
Pradesh. One is the decorative and
wall-hanging pieces of Srikalahasti in
Chittoor district while the other is
block printing on fabrics for dress
material and furnishing at Machilipatnam.
Paintings from Cheriyaland brass
metalware from Pembarti, both in
Warangal district, are the legacy of the
benign Kakatiya rulers. The paintings in
Cheriyal are done on scrolls to depict
scenes from mythology while the sheet
metalware is for decorative pieces.
Shilparamam: An ethnic art and
craft village. Try some of the
spectacular objects of art, crafts,
beautiful and decorative knick-knacks of
all kinds, traditional handloom
textiles, carpets, durries and bed linen
made here.
Kondapalli toys: Colourful
representations of mythological figures
from Hindu epics, birds, animals and
occupations of daily life, these toys
have a distinct and unique style, making
it one of the most popular souvenirs for
tourists.
Bidriware: Bidri, an ancient art,
has been aptly made to suit contemporary
taste such as cufflinks, vases,
ashtrays, ornaments, knick-knacks,
nameplates and more. Famed for the
stunning contrasts provided by the
shining silver and brass inlay work, the
unique charm of Bidriware cannot be
claimed by any other metalware.
Nirmal Art: Working with plain
embossed designs, Nirmal paintings and
exquisite in style and theme with
softwood as the prime media with
indigenous colours.
Brass ware: You can get marvelous
brassware, from the famous master
craftmen of Pembarty. Painstakingly
created, these breathtakingly beautiful
statuettes, figurines, and decorative
panels make wonderful gifts.
Gnapika Souvenir Shop
AP Tourism has created an additional
facility for visiting tourists by
opening souvenir and handicraft shops.
Christened 'Gnapika', they will showcase
handicrafts and handlooms of Andhra
Pradesh. To begin with, they have been
opened at Ravindra Bharati and Mahtaab
Restaurant in Hyderabad, Punnami Hotel
at Visakhapatnam, Punnami Beach Resort
at Rishikonda, Punnami Hotel at Araku
and Punnami Hotel at Srisailam. |
