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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, Haritha Hotel at
Visakhapatnam, Haritha Beach
Resort at Rishikonda, Haritha Hotel at Araku and
Haritha Hotel at Srisailam.
Hyderabad
is the one answer to the large number of wishes
of discerning travelers, out to enjoy
themselves in a grandeur meant for 'Nawabs'
(Kings).

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