In a shopping spree-Memories from my days in Jaipur-2

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Hi,

Well coming back to it all..so we reached Jaipur from Delhi n the afternoon. It had alovely wheather. Not very cold, not very hot. Just optimum. This desert state has Hot climate but since it ws winter the day time wheather was quite lovely.

We boarded a hotel. It was this typically Rajasthani hotel, with that kind of decking. The gorgeus sandstone clour walls were beautiful. It was nice.

After getting fresh we decided to move out and just see the town. we had no idea what to do and where to go, except for the fact that i had some of my frnds whose ancestral home is in Jaipur. They advised me on the local front as to what is better and what not. We went to the RTDC office to seek details about conducting tours and they gave us. But they had this strict list of where to go and where not. So it was not full oppurtunity to go on our own. hence I decided that we go by ourselves. I had a map, I had read the history and after all it was a small town..so won't be a big deal I thought.

So we booked a cab, for next day's morning tour. And that vening just moved about. There's these few markets called 'jauhari bazzar' selling jewellery, then there's Bapu market selling typical rajasthani clothes and food.

The rajasthani cuisine is usually spicy and very stimulating in terms of taste. They have these characteristic pickle and sweet shops which i love and got loads..and loads of candies frm there. As for jewellery their lac ornaments are world famous. The meena work on the jewellery makes it so special. Meena work on silver is really famous. The gem stones frm the region are world famous and the anklets have colorful gem studded look which is characteristic to jaipur. For people touring jaipur, frm my experience i can tell u get some lovely lac and silver ornaments there which u wont get anywhere else thru out the Indian country, and of course not in the west unless u go to some relly nice Indian handloom's shop.

other than that there's the Maharani saree. Now let me tell u that foriegners interested in Indian clothes can have a look at them. They are exquisite and have wide price range. The costly ones are so good that you don't feel like laying hands off them. They have gold fibre work as well. These sarees wont be available anywhere else except rajasthan. But the less costly ones are basically Indian silk in bright colours which are available any where thru out the country.

The ghagras and lehangas of the region are really famous. They have bright thread works and awesome mirror work.

The bodices that wmen of this region wear are also interesting accessories.

Its always better to get things from renowned shops because outsiders cant really distinguish between the original and artificial.

the bandhni work and tie and dye are very beautiful and come in various patterns. The men of the region wear turbans, so turban clothes are also available in variety and u have loads to confuse u which one to chose to take ur self back as a token of memory.

To decorate your house you have got awesome puppets, Indian art, paintings and lovely curtains. The puppets are specail means of entertainment and is a part of the folklore of the region.

The premise of the City palace gives you a wide choice of goods and there are also a couple of really famous handlooms. Then there is this rajasthani handicraft showroom also.

The jaipuri blanket is very soft and made of muslin. ans has ship's fur to stuff it. so its too soft. Again it is a multi purpose thing. You could use it as bed-cover, a carpet, as well as a blanket. The best part is dust or foot marks don't appear on it. Even if u walk on it with muddy shoes it will remain as it is..without marks!!!

The marble sculptures are worth your money. They have evrything from cutlery to statues in marble. And for ur information the marble that the Taj Mahal is made of had been brought frm Rajasthan. So u know that the marble of the region are worth mentioning.

The rajasthani musical instuments...the stringed ones are artistically beautiful. So even if u cant play them they can well decorate your house.

All in all Jaipur tempts you to spend money like water on articles that appeal right away. But honestly from my point of view I cud tell its worth it. In fact I would call Jaipur a paradise for shoppers if u can shop well.

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