From the Diary of a Shopaholic: What to shop in Hyderabad

Last month, I visited Hyderabad to attend the wedding of one of my cousins. Thoughthe excitement of attending a royal wedding was full on, I was also looking forward to the opportunity of exploring the city and its bustling markets. My mom was equally excited about the idea of exploring the nooks and crannies of Hyderabadwhile being my companion on a shopping spree.

My aunt arranged our stay in one of the hotels in Hyderabad, which was located near popular markets of the city, like Laad Bazaar and Perfume Market. I earnestly thanked my aunt for making such a warm arrangement of our stay. The hotel was quite comforting with all basic facilities to ensure a comfortable stay. During a conversation, she mentioned about the ease of booking this hotel through OYO Rooms. This reminded me of my last business trip to Mumbai, and my comfortable stay in a hotelthat was registered with OYO Rooms.

Moving over the whole discussion that was aboutthe availability of good hotels in Hyderabad, we started talking about the best places to shop in the city. She told me about her favourite shopping destinations like Begum Bazar and Abids Street. She also suggested me to buy block-print sarees for myself from Abids. By the time our conversation ended, I was totally in the mood to step out and explore the shopping horizons in Hyderabad. I also searched online for popular shopping destinations in Hyderabad, and ended up visiting these markets:

Laad Bazaar

It is a lively shopping place close to Charminar. After visiting this majestic monumentwith my mom and cousins, we went straight to this bazaar. Shopping in the company of my lovely ladies was great fun. The shops at Laad Bazar were as bright and colourful as the city itself is. From beautiful bangles in different colours and designs to pristine Hyderabad pearls, we splurged on all. I also got a beautiful pearl set to be worn during the sangeet ceremony.

Abids

As suggested by my aunt, I went to Abids with my mom to do some serious saree shopping. The moment we entered the market, we were tempted by beautiful block-print sarees put at the display window of every shop around. We also got to know about different block-print saree styles like Kalamkari, Narayanpett, Gadwal, and Pochampalli. I ended up buying five sarees in different styles, as they were something which could be worn comfortably to the office and also during festivals. My mom always says that I look elegant in sarees, and now she can expect to see me in this traditional attire quite frequently.

Sultan Bazar

Street shopping is something which I truly like, and so a visit to Sultan Bazar was a must when I was in Hyderabad. Along with bangles, silver jeweler and hair accessories; I also got beautiful handicraft products from Sultan Bazar. Though this place tested my bargaining skills, I came out with flying colors. I got beautifully-crafted cups, saucers and flower pots for my new house. As I have moved into my own pad recently, these objects caught my attention at first glance.

Antique Market

A friend of mine,who bought beautiful antique crockery and wooden chests from Antique Market, suggested me to go to this place at least once. As my mother was busy with some wedding rituals, so I had to go there all alone. But, shopping for antique items all by myself was not that difficult, as shopkeepers were quite amiable while displaying different antique items.Such was the charm of this market that I could not resist myself from buying an antique lamp for my living room.

I came back from Hyderabad with wonderful memories of my cousin’s wedding, and along with so many unique and extraordinarily beautiful objects. And, I will undoubtedly cherish the experiences of this trip for long.