On any given day, I like shopping at a street shop or a market than at some stuffy branded store in a mall. Not that I have anything against mid/high end brands, but I really like looking at slightly chaotic, multicolored, and sometimes over the top displays at street shops. Here the shopkeepers smile genuinely and wish you when you make a purchase. Plus, they are really affordable, the walking and standing doubles up as exercise so such a spree is guilt free. If you agree with me and ever in India you must visit absolutely fantastic markets around the country. Janpath, Kinari Bazaar (for supplies) and Sarojini Nagar in Delhi, Brigade Road and Commercial Street in Bangalore, South Usman road in Chennai, Main Guard gate in Trichy, Ghariyahat in Kolkata, Lad Bazaar/Chudi bazaar in Hyderabad and Law garden market to buy jewellery at Ahmedabad. Ofcourse, there are many many more fabulous markets in many Indian cities but these are just my personal favourites.
Law Garden Market
Coming to Ahmedabad’s Law Garden market, which is the latest addition to my list, a walk through there is like walking through the Aladdin’s cave. So many treasures and all so very beautiful. Do take a look at my post on Gujarat Inspiration to look at the kind of home decor products and traditional Garba clothes in found in the market. Apart from Dance costumes and festive attire there’s a lot ofย regular merchandise there but I chose to focus this posts on the special traditional clothing and jewellery from Gujarat.
Jewellery at Ahmedabad
The Navaratri festival is very big is western India with people decked up in colorful traditional attire dancing to popular songs and traditional renditions in Garba and Dandiya styles. Dandiya is a dance played with 2 sticks (or Khol) and mimics the swords fight between Goddess Durga and the Demon Mahisasura before she killed him on the 10th tenth day, emerging victorious. In Garba Decorated pots enclosed with normal lamps are used. Garba means “Womb” and the light inside refers to the new life that is created within it. Both dances follow circular patterns and the feverish music along with the movements can make a novice quite dizzy.
The perfect attire for a Garba or Dandiya Raas for men is the kedia and turbans and lehengha/Chanya choliย with Odni (duppata)for women.They are usually accessorized with oxidized metal (silver/gold) jewelry or Meenakari sets. The sets would generally have only white mirrors on them, but colors are increasingly included in the form of resin stones and beads to match with the clothes; which I somehow dislike.
Yup, that me in the picture,in 2012 dressed up as a Rajasthani tribal girl, on my trip to Mt.Abu. Though I am wearing a embroidered Ghaghra – Choli, this isn’t exactly Gujarati attire (the headgear here is distinctly tribal), but it might give an idea of how the bangles stay high up on the biceps and how colorful the clothes are.ย
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| Mina bangles (Chuda) |
Choora – Chuda
I never knew that something called “Mina Chuda” existed until I came across stalls of Jewellery at Ahmedabad. Chuda or Choora are traditional red and white bangles worn by new brides mainly in western India. Like one reader pointed out – no gujarati weddings are complete without the bride wearing a chuda got from her maternal uncle. It would be made of ivory and decorated with gold patterns. These bangles here (wrongly referred to as Mina meaning Enamel) actually have a colored metal covering on a plastic base. They have been created using an amalgamation of techniques such as foil sheeting, enamelling/coloring and repousse often used to make normal home decor items. I was so fascinated by them (to the shopkeeper’s amusement as I didnt buy any) that I kept asking him questions to how they were made that he finally said “Ye tho Rajasthan se aathe hi, abhi bahut fashion mein hai” (These come from Rajasthan and there are really in trend -Fashion now) with a typical look that said, ‘Dont ask me why, I dont know’.
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| Plastic Bangle sets |
Thanks to Pallavi for more information about the Chudha. Do read her detailed description of them in the comments section ๐
I hope you find it interesting
Cheers
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