Shopping In Ahmedabad
Buying or browsing, shopping in Ahmedabad is fun in itself. In a state considered, as the richest source of folk embroidery buying ethnic stuff is a pleasure. From ethnic embroidered fabrics, to belled wall hangings and the ubiquitous jhula, shopping in Ahmedabad is all about going back in time. Handicrafts aside, the array of furniture and furnishings from Ahmedabad is pretty mind-boggling. The styles are a combination of Muslim, Jain and Hindu folk art. The stitching patterns and styles are characteristic of tribes. Some of the notable shopping places in Ahmedabad are:
This is an ideal place for buying antique, furniture and things like cowbell wind chimes, mirror studded wall hangings and Kutchi embroidered tablecloths.
Clearly, from ethnic embroidered fabrics, to belled wall hangings and the ubiquitous jhula, shopping in Ahmedabad is all about going back in time. The city boasts of shops that sell textiles and handicrafts from a state considered the world’s richest source of folk embroidery.
Handicrafts aside, the array of furniture and furnishings from Ahmedabad is pretty mind-boggling. The styles are a combination of Muslim, Jain and Hindu folk art. The stitching patterns and styles are characteristic of tribes.
Thus, you can trace a product down to the village it came from and also identify the tribe that created the product.
Teen Darwaja though surrounded by ruins of forts and temples is a goldmine for antiques, furniture and things like cowbell wind chimes, mirror studded wall hangings and Kutchi embroidered tablecloths. Lacquered furniture of the kind made in Saurashtra or Vadodara, sankheda, woodcraft of Surat , Kutch and Saurashtra is quite popular and easily available at Teen Darwaza.
Not just Sankheda, even furniture and woodcraft of Surat , Kutch and Saurashtra is quite popular and easily available at Teen Darwaza. Also available here is meenakari furniture made by artisans from Rajkot that include low slung chairs, sofa sets and centre tables, priced between Rs 700 and Rs 50,000. The bustling crowded marketplace of Teen Darwaza is also famous for antique jewellery, the kind the Harappans wore in the third millennium BC, made out of shells and brass.
Dhal Garwad : Also in old Ahmedabad Dhal Garwad is for someone looking for traditional fabrics and saris at cheap prices. You can pick up a beautiful bandhni cotton top for Rs 50 and a bandhej salwar kameez for Rs 600.
Boutiques and gift shops on C G Road has a number of boutiques and gift shops. Shops here exhibit fascinating range of Patola silks, ethnic fabrics, silver jewellery, furniture and handicrafts. C.G. Market is very popular for beautiful pottery which includes the famous Terracotta toys of the Bhuj potters. Gujarat ’s oldest handicraft is pottery. Also available are mud wall hangings and plaques inset with mirrors.
The Law Garden evening market , famous for its ethnic fabrics and textiles and white metal jeweler, bandhni and bandhej fabrics and saris, as well as Surat saris made out of gold silk thread and zari.
Ahmedabad is also known for dhurries, carpets, blankets and rugs woven on primitive pit looms in the villages of Bhuj and Saurashtra. Colorful quilts, woven traditionally on pit looms or shuttle looms, are also a great pick in the city. Another handicraft that’s a must buy are wall hangings and borders with rogan printing - a process in which thick bright paste is used to decorate cloth. Most Gujarati handicraft is displayed at Gurjari or Handloom house, both on Ashram road, Ahmedabad.
Shops like Banascraft, Bandhej, Garvari, Gurjari, Hastkala and Kapasi handicrafts are the best place to pick up these handlooms, as one can be sure of the authenticity, and they are reasonably priced.
Matajini Pachedi is an art form that is typical of Ahmedabad through which mythological stories are depicted..
Ahmedabad has a good collection of designer wear too in shops, boutique and malls. Fun Republic is a shopping mall which houses all the sources of entertainment. Ahmedabad gives the buyer a wide range of choices ranging from traditional to modern clothes. For those not comfortable with browsing and bargaining on street corners or small shops, are designer stores like Anuradha Vakil’s boutique and Archana Shah’s Bandhej.
