Wedding shopping in India
A cliché goes, “A person who thought happiness cannot be
bought…didn't know the right place to shop.”
As a shopping destination the
USP of India is that, here you will find good value for money and the variety
available would never cease to surprise you. Don’t be apprehensive, no
compromise with quality, it is because of the cheap labour force in India that
Indian merchandise comes at unbelievably low prices. The excellent value for
money products are sure to have visitors looking for an extra suitcase to carry
home. India is a potpourri of different cultures all of which have contributed
their bit to flavour the Indian markets. India is also home to the latest in designer
wear. The omnipresent boutique culture has pervaded the Indian cities also.
Some of India’s designers now rub shoulders with the best names of Paris
catwalks and are preparing to give them a run for their money. To put it
straight the Indian markets are today all geared up to furnish to the demands
of the admirers of, both, the trends and traditions alike….
If you are living in India and
are among the ones who love shopping and is about to get married, then it is
likely that you must be planning a
shopping trip to Jaipur
or Kolkata.
But if you live overseas, one
of the big decisions that brides struggle with is whether one should go to
India to shop for the wedding or not. Brides like to go to India because they
get much more variety and also get it for a better price. However, the air
tickets can get expensive, especially if going with other friends or members of
family, and it can be hard to take off from work. So how do you make the trip
worth your while and rationalize your decision to go for shopping in India? I
think a trip to India, if planned well, can not only save a lot of
money, but can also help find the exact things you are looking for.
If you talk about wedding
shopping, there is an immense choice and the pink
city of Jaipur
and Kolkata leads the charts.
Next you are likely to be
choosing between the two biggest wedding markets in India- Jaipur or Kolkata?
Which one should you go for if you want a great wedding trousseau and bridal lehenga??
We can actually advice about where to shop depending on your style, taste and
budget. But you need to book your tickets as early as possible, and figure out
which is better for you. This small guide about Jaipur may help as a starter. I
will be coming up with Kolkata in my next article.
Shopping in
Jaipur
It is one of my favourite
cities in India not only because I live here or because it is famed to be the
land of Forts and Palaces, the land of riches, colour and unparalleled heritage
but because this is the city where you can find India at its colorful best!
In Jaipur, shopping is
irresistible, a wide range of Ethnic Bridal wear Saris and Bridal Lehangas are
available in the market; most of items are produced in the centers in and
around Jaipur city. The city is one of the most important centers in the world
for cutting and polishing precious and semi precious stone, diamonds. The city
has, for long, been a traditional center of the finest of jewelry bedecked with both precious and semi precious stones, enameling of gold in green, red
and white, the favorite colors of the Mughals, which was introduced Raja Man
Singh. The city is known the world over for diamond and emerald cutting.
Other popular items are
textiles, goods made of marble, Designer marble products, wood, stone, clay, metal, leather, Invitation cards, Bags, Home
furnishing, Home décor stuff, Silverware, Trousseau packing, Gifts, Authentic
arts, Handicrafts, Exquisite gems, Kundan jewellery, Traditional print, block
Print garments and textiles, Blue pottery, Rajais (blankets/ quilts), Trinkets,
Lak ki chudi (ethnic bangles), Mojdis (special Rajashtani footwear), Bandhani
work (Traditional Rajasthani Tie & Dye), Miniature paintings, Marble
figures, Gold filigree and inlay work, and the list seems endless...
Wedding Trousseau:
TV and Bollywood industry is
overwhelmed and fascinated by the ‘jaipuri lehenga chunri’, one of the most
famous and most worn costumes of Jaipur. Jaipuri lehenga are always well
embroidered and stitched and often called ‘Gotedaar Lehenga ‘. Jaipur Jewels
and costumes are used in many Indian Movies like ‘Jodhaa Akhbar’ and
television’s daily soaps in a very beautiful manner. The famous actress and model Aishwarya Rai
Bacchan wore Kundan Jewelry of Jaipur at her wedding in 2007 and her films
‘Jodhaa Akbar’ and ‘Umrao Jaan’. Many
exhibitions of gems and jewelry of Jaipur are held in different countries
like Bangkok, Thailand, Singapore and they always get a great and overwhelming
response from there.
Where to buy?
WEDDING LEHENGA (For
Women):
For picking your Wedding
Lehenga - first stop should be SARAOGI MANSION at MI Road. Here you can look at
‘Nikhaar Creations’ and ‘Nikhaar Fashions’,’ Pratapsons’ and ‘Utsav’. From here
you can go to RANA’s at GANPATI PLAZA. Then check out ‘Zari’ & ‘Sattva’ at
Narayan Singh Circle and ‘Vasansi’ at Takht E Shahi Road. Most of them remain
closed on Sundays. Now if you want
something absolutely exclusive then there are many wonderful designers like
Pallavi Jaipur, Nidhi Tholia, Monish Tharyamal, Namita Jaipuria and boutiques
like Chrisalis in Country Inn, Miraangi many more… Residents of Jaipur also
pick ethnic wear from several Exhibitions that are held twice in a year during
Feb- March and August- September and sometimes October just before Diwali.
SHERWANI(For Men):
For picking sherwani you can
go to RAM NARAYAN SAFEWALE at walled city, RAJA SAHEB at Raja Park, Visit Munnu
Khan the oldest masterji of sherwani in Jaipur for a custom made one or Manyavar
at Crytal Palm Mall, Sardar Patel Marg ‘C’ Scheme. Well again there are some
good designers that you may visit like Rohit Abhishek, Kirti Rathore, Himmat
Singh to name a few.. My groom got one
of his outfits stitched in ‘Villa’ in Ganpati Plaza and one from Rohit and
Abhishek ;)
Go to BAPU BAZAAR or one of
the many bangle stores at the basement of SARAOGI MANSION and find yourself the
most gorgeous chooda.
EXCLUSIVE BANGLES:
There is no place like the MANIHARON KA RAASTA
in the old city to go bangle shopping. There are over 50/60 stores stocking up
very exclusive bangles. Try the ones made of LAAC.
WEDDING CARDS:
The most sought place for
wedding cards is JOHRI BAZAAR. I also like Readiprint
(you might
find it little expensive, but trust me, it is totally worth it); My wedding
invitation card from both the bride and the groom’s side was printed here.
JEWELRY:
There are plenty of prominent
showrooms and very good vendors to go to. There is Birdhichand, Suranas,
Motisons, Tatiwala, Gem Palace, Amrapali to name a few however there are many
designers who can do custom made jewelry depending on your budgets and specific
requirements. Custom made Jadaau set made of Gold- Precious stones and uncut
Diamonds are a big hit and highly demanded. Anyone searching for lac jewellery
should visit ‘Maniharon Ka Rasta’ where lac jewelry is made and sold. The
variety in ‘Johri Bazaar’ is marvelous and is a place where jewelry is crafted and sold. Gopalji ka Rasta and Haldiyon ka Rasta have a number of shops
selling jewelry and on the main road one can see silversmiths. It is closed
for some time on Sunday and Tuesday. The cutting, polishing and selling of
precious and semi precious stones is centered on the Muslim dominated area of
Pahar Ganj in the Surajpol Bazaar area.
Also if you can plan your trip
in December, look forward for this annual event of glimmer and glamour - Jaipur Jewelry Show.
This year, Jaipur Jewelry Show (JJS) is scheduled for 20-23 December 2013. It
is the largest B2B & B2C jewelry exhibition of India. This jewelry show
is also known as the “DECEMBER SHOW”. JJS has already been listed in the
renowned jewelry exhibitions of the world. This jewelry fair is very
special for retailers, whole sellers and buyers.
Important Tips:
Every English as well as local
newspaper has the gold and silver rates published on the front page. Look for
it to be sure of the recent rates.
If you are buying silver it is
mostly sold on a per gram basis and not per piece basis (as in many countries
abroad). So generally it is today's silver rate + some labor* multiplied by
the weight of the piece. Do not get carried away that the piece you are buying
has a 92.5 stamp. Ask and make sure that the silver content is pure. Research
the net and look at the city guide and make a pick.
A genuine jeweler will always
give a certification if asked for. He may ask you for a day's time but it is better to buy high-end stuff only if it is certified. All gemstones are easily
certifiable and just takes a few hours to get validated.
FOOTWEAR:
Traditional Rajasthani
Footwear called ‘Jutis’ can be found in Ramganj Bazar. There is Metro and Mochi
in M.I. Road. Then there are many stores in the basement of SARAOGI MANSION
where you get beautiful glitzy non branded bridal footwear (worth a visit).
There is also LIFESTYLE at 22 Godam Circle and Central at PINK SQUARE MALL,
Adarsh Nagar RAJA PARK. Branded footwear can be found in World Trade Park in
JLN Marg.
TROUSSEAU PACKING:
Trousseau packing for a
wedding in the family can be a very tedious thing. All the gifts and giveaways
aren’t any good till they are packaged well. So if you come trousseau shopping
in Jaipur or come for hosting a wedding in Jaipur or are interested in hassle
free and gorgeous trousseau packing there are 2 places that are great. There is
Vandana Fancy & Craft Center in BAPU BAZAAR and there is The Modern Paper
House opposite SARGA SOOLI in Old Jaipur. For wonderful trousseau packing visit
Ratan textile and a few tiny shops next to Ratan Textiles.
SAFA(turban, Traditional
Headgear for Men) 
Some shops opposite Hawa Mahal
stock the famous Jaipuri quilts, weighing from a few hundred grams to a
kilogram. Ratan Textiles and Anokhi are few renowned places which
keep some really good stuff.
.jpg)
ARTEFACTS AND
ANTIQUE WORK:
Near the Hawa Mahal are large numbers of shops
dealing in antiques and pseudo-antiques. Jaipur brass work is of immaculate
quality. The Jaipur brass worker is successful in infusing life like charm into
the dull metal. Two kinds of work is done in Jaipur on brass viz., lacquered
brass and carved brass. Jaipur enamel or Minakari, mostly done on gold and
silver has always been a class of its own. The Jaipur artist is renowned not
only for the purity of the colors, but also for its evenness.
The stone and marble carving
industry is also a famous art of Jaipur. The stone used is either procured from
within Jaipur or from the marble mines of Makrana, the famous quarry that
provided all the marble stone for one of the wonders of the world The Taj Mahal
at Agra.
- At Tripolia Bazar and Chaura Rasta - Here you can shop here for textiles, utensils, ironware and trinkets. If you want to see the artisans at work, step into the side lanes and see for yourself.
- At Bapu Bazaar and Nehru Bazaar - You can purchase textiles, local perfumes and shoes made of camel skin. When in bapu Bazar do not miss the golgappas and kulfi faluda.
- For block printed specialties, Kilol, Soma Shop, cottons, chhipa, Cotton curio, Gulabchand, Suruchi and Anokhi are great places to visit. Rajasthali, the official store of Rajasthan tourism, is a must try to find a galore of products under one roof.
- Jaipur is also famous for its textiles. Sanganeri and Bagru block prints are the fashion designer’s craze these days.
- The Bandhej (tie and dye) print is very typical of the region and can be found in abundance in Johri Bazaar, Nikhaar in Sarawgi mansion and Vasansi.
- For wonderful and cheap home furnishings do take out some time and visit Seekar House. Bedspreads, bedsheets, Table mats, Table runners, Tablecloth, curtains, Quilts, name it and you get it all squeezed in the small seeker house market. You must bargain a lot to strike a great deal.
- Achrol House, Subhash Chowk for carpets.
- Khajano Walano Ka Rasta for marble carving.
- For handicrafts like puppets, bandahwars, wall hangings.
- For white metal artifacts go to linking road next to Saraogi mansion- Bapu Bazar.
Take some time out and
discover for yourself, and you will not regret choosing Jaipur as a shopping
destination. Here’s wishing you Happy Shopping J
View comments