Shopping Malls of HYD

Shopping in Hyderabad
I had a magnificient experience shopping in Hyderabad, as it revealed the various handicraft endorsed by the city.


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Shopping in Hyderabad
I had a magnificient experience shopping in Hyderabad, as it revealed the various handicraft endorsed by the city.

Shopping in Hyderabad is a lifetime experience. While strolling in the bazaars of Hyderabad I felt as If I was moving through the dramatic lanes of some magic bazaars. The bazaars which have the mix of ancient, medieval and modern character, have endless items to offer. There are different merchants selling various items. The city offers everything from antiques to Handicrafts to Jewellery and from dresses to leather goods to Pearls and semi-precious stones.

Hyderabad has been a major shopping center of India for centuries right from the Mogul kings to the British rule. Commerce in Hyderabad starts at around 11am. We( me and my friends) visited almost all major areas for shopping in Hyderabad last year, when we were there in the city for almost 10 days. At some places we shopped and at other places we didn't . Though we found all the items eye-catching and wished to purchase, our budget and the hassle of carrying too much came in our way.

We visited Charminar- one of the oldest commercial area of the city. It is a traditional place for silversmiths, Pearl sellers, and Bangle sellers. Girls had a nice time there bargaining for their choicest bangles. There are also some merchants who sell Gun-Metal articles in this area.

Zardosi- Embroidery Work:
A Speciality of Hyderabad is zardozi (Silk thread and cord) embroidery work. We found an amazing collection of embroidered sarees, Lacchas(Long tops paired with long skirts and dupatta), ghagra and cholis (skirt and blouse), salwar kameez and even sandals with embroidery work. These are particularly exquisite when purchased at Charminar. Prices depend mainly on the amount and quality of work put in.

We also visited Koti--Sultan Bazaar and Narayanguda-Chikkadpally. Koti- Sultan Bazaar is a very busy market where one can get anything under the sun while Narayanguda-Chikkadpally is filled with numerous theatres.

Monda Market
Near the R.P Road is this biggest vegetable market of the twin cities. The market deals with both whole sale and retail selling of the vegetables.

Bazaars in Hyderabad are filled with shops selling :
Kalamkari and Himroo fabrics, Hyderabadi Lacquered Bangles, Blouses and skirts embroidered with mirrors and very small and flat metallic disks ka Lambadi Mirror-work, semi-precious stone and Jewellery including the ever famous Pearls.

Handicrafts
One can purchase Kondapalli toys bidri metal craft (silver inlaid on metal-copper and zinc), gun metal craft, stone carvings, wood carvings, brassware, Pembarthi sheet metal art, Nirmal art, Kalamkari art, Banjara embroidery, khadicrafts and dhurries , at the places listed below.

* Cheneta Bhavan, Handloom House, Nampally
* Cottage Industries Emporium, Minerva Complex, Secunderabad
* Bidri Work at Abids
* Brassware, guncraft at Basheerbagh
* Arts and crafts from all over India at Shilparamam

Sarees:
Hyderabad has sarees to please every woman, in the world. Kat saris are the famous ones. The price of the cotton sarees vary between Rs.120 to 3,000 while silk sarees are priced between Rs.500 to Rs.10,000 and above.

Though ubiquitous, Some of the preferred centres for sarees are MG Road, Patny Circle, General Bazaar, Abids, Nampally, Somajiguda, Charminar, Koti, Sultan Bazar, etc.

Even if I don't have money to buy anything, I will still like to roam in the bazaars of Hyderabad again and again for the sheer thrill and ecstasy these offer. Ahh... A visual treat, I always miss.

Hyderabad Pearls
Prettify yourself and your world with the seductive and angelic pearls from Hyderabad. Nature extends her generous arms to embrace beauty with these beautiful pearls.


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Hyderabad Pearls
Prettify yourself and your world with the seductive and angelic pearls from Hyderabad. Nature extends her generous arms to embrace beauty with these beautiful pearls.

I came to hyderabad especially to buy the pearls . Within few days of my visit in the exotic city, I came to know many things about the hyderabad pearls.

Formation of pearls
There are two types of pearls-cultured and natural. The difference between the natural pearl and the cultured pearl lies essentially in the formation of the bead nucleus. Natural pearl is formed in an oyster when an irritant causes it to secrete a liquid which hardens over a period where as cultured pearl is formed when an irritant is artificially injected into the oysters to induce the secretion over a bead. The pearl formation depends on the shape of the bead. Natural oyster pearls are rare these days. Most of the natural pearls brought to Hyderabad are fresh water pearls. Cultured fresh water pearls are produced from mussels. While one single oyster pearl is cultivated in one oyster, one mussel can have as many as 50 pearls and they can be harvested quickly. Hence they are cheaper than oyster pearls.

History of Pearls
The Indian association with pearls dates back to ancient times. Some people believe wearing pearls as ornaments was born out of the practice of wearing flowers and seeds to ward off evil spirits. Yet others choose a pearl to highlight the lunar effect. The story goes like this. The Nizam of Hyderabad was captivated by the beauty of pearls. So much was he fond of pearls that he started ordering. The penchant for this fancy, exotic, lustrous marine gem got transferred to the successive generations. The Asaf Jahi Nizams not only wore ropes of pearls studded with diamonds as part of State regalia but used the paste of crushed pearls as beauty aids. The princesses were covered with pearls and weighed against them on their birthdays. Under their patronage pearl merchants from all over the country flocked to Hyderabad and gradually the city flourished as an important trading centre for pearls went on to become the pearl capital of India.

Authenticity of Pearls
Every shop we entered made the claims of the originality of the pearls they were selling but it was the most humble of all Manik Lal who revealed the secret of testing the pearls to us and dared to allow us to test his pearls with the knowledge he shared with us. He told us that Natural and cultured pearls do not burn, while the plastic ones do. One can find out whether the gems are real by rubbing them gently against the edge of one’s teeth. A grainy, rough sensation indicates the pearls are genuine while fakes would feel smooth.

In fact, I was quite impressed by knowing about them and that somewaht forced me to buy the pearl set for my wife and pearl earing for my sister.
Hyderabad Nizams
The Hyderabad Nizams hold a significant place for themselves in Hyderabad history.
As I was in Hyderabad I came to know about its magnificent past through a local guide. It was interesting for me to know that nizams of Hyderbad were quite popular and so that created an interest in me to know more about them. Without wasting any time, I bought a book that detailed me on the subject .

According to the book
I got acquainted with many facts after reading that book. The Nizams story began after Aurangzeb died in 1707, seven years later his death of the last Qutb Shahi ruler, Abul Hasan Tana Shah in prison in 1700. The Mughal governor of Hyderabad, Mir Kamruddin Khan, titled Nizam-ul-Mulk, declared independence and started the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The waning Mughal power found itself helpless against forces of disintegration. But the Nizams were fabulously rich and stories of their hordes of gold, diamonds and pearls spread far and wide. Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam before Hyderabad merged into the Union of India, was among the world's wealthiest individuals. Prior to their treaty with the British, the Nizams had good relations with the French. Monsieur Raymond, a French adventurer and commander of the Nizam s troops, earned great respect of the people. A 23-feet-high granite obelisk inscribed JR stands on a hill in Saururnagar in memory of this trusted lieutenant of the Nizams, who couldn't stand the growth British influence.

Unveiling the era of Nizam's

I Nizam-ul-Mulk -1724 - 1748

II Nizam Ali Khan 1762 - 1803

III Sikander Jah 1803 - 1829

IV Nasir-ud-Dowla 1829 - 1857

V Afzal-ud-Dowla 1857 - 1869

VI Mahboob Ali Pasha 1869 - 1911

VII Mir Osman Ali Khan 1911 - 1948

As I went through the history, I realized how important Nizams had been to Hyderabad.

Hyderabad Map
Spanning over an area of 260 sq kms, Hyderabad is the fifth largest metropolitas city in India.

Hyderabad MapHyderabad Map
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Hyderabad Photo Gallery
Behold the regal ecstasy as we take you on a journey beyond the contours of the virtual world of images!! O yes! this is Hyderabad vivacious and vibrant that speaks through the images as well!!