Traditional wear, Hyderabad

It's common practice to leave your shoes outside the shop, to sit on mattres and then enjoy colourful Saries that shop-keeper and his assistants show you.

What to buy: There are so many patterns and colours and I must say form my personal experience, it's really hard to choose, becuase you would like to buy it all!

What to pay: Prices are different, depending on the quality and the place you buy it.
In the small shops, (like the one on the photo) where local people buy, there's much more possibility to make a good deal.
On the other hand there are luxurious Sari shops which have really great Saries and the prices are much higher.

This shop specialises in rich zari, zardozi and silk embroidered outfits like Khada Dupatta, which is usually worn by brides on their wedding day, Sharara, Peshwas and sarees....this is a one stop shop for people looking for exquisite and detailed Hyderabadi wear. Again the designs and colours are varied and fall within the budget.

This particular shop in Lad Bazar specialises in stone, shellac and metal bangles in all colours posiible. The designs are intricate and eye catching. This shop is my favourite...go check it out.

What to buy: Bangles and more bangles!!!

This old perfumery has been selling Indian perfumes and has been drawing discerning customers for the past 50 years or more--from the time of the last Nizams to the present day connoisseurs.

It is easy to get lost in the congested, grubby and choked by lanes of old Hyderabad, Afzal Gunj. Here, it seems, time stopped somewhere in the medieval ages. There’s neither hurry nor urgency. People set their own lazy pace. But in these congested surroundings there is one place that doesn’t take too long to locate. One is virtually led by one’s nose to this Deccan Bahar Ittar [perfume] shop. The aroma of exotic perfumes wafts through the road when you pass it through after the Osmania Hospital where the shop is located.

Ittar has tantalized the nerves of generations much before synthetic perfumes began trickling in from the West and took over in popularity and demand. But Ittar has stood the test of time and competition and today is the most commonly used perfume in Hyderabad. Most of the present day customers of these kinda shop are those who love the exotic smell that ittar emits. Though Hindus do use it occasionally but most of the Ittar users are Muslim. That’s because they traditionally know the true appeal of the ittar, but most importanly because Ittar is alcohol free and thats what's the Doc ordered for muslims.

Ittar was commonly used in the bygone era. Romantic stories are replete with the important role ittar played in love stories. Poets like Mirza Ghalib were said to sprinkle ittar before meeting their beloved. A royal toilet was incomplete without ittar.

What to buy: You will find a lot of perfumes. All the youngsters there, u will find all the Polo's, Gucci's, Davidoff's, Jovan Musk's and a horde of sweet nothings for My Lady aswell.

Guys try n pick up Jannatul Firdaus, ummmm.

What to pay: Sold in bottles the size varies, so does the prize, the least around 50 Indian rupees.