Jaipur Shopping
Jaipur is a shoppers’ paradise. The
builders of Jaipur took special care to provide ample space and
facilities for the production and marketing of handicrafts which
made the place famous throughout India and abroad. An entire
street and several city sectors were earmarked for artisans and
traders. The main markets are along Jauhari Bazar, Bapu Bazar,
Nehru Bazar, Chaura Rasta, Tripolia Bazar and M.I. Road. Shops
specialising in precious and semi-precious stones, ornaments and
jewellery are to be found on and along Jauhari Bazaar. Jaipur
enjoys a high reputation for the manufacture of jewellery. It is
one of the most active jewel markets of the world and is famous
for precious and semi-precious stones and also for the cutting,
polishing and setting of these stones, particularly that of
diamonds, topaz and emeralds. Jaipur brass work is of immaculate
quality. The Jaipur brass worker is successful in infusing life
like charm into the dull metal. Two kinds of work is done in
Jaipur on brass viz., lacquered brass and carved brass. Jaipur
enamel or Minakari, mostly done on gold and silver has always been
a class of its own. The Jaipur artist is renowned not only for the
purity of the colours, but also for its evenness.
Jaipur is also famous for its
textiles. Sanganeri and Bagru block prints are the fashion
designer’s craze these days. The Bandhej (tie and dye) print is
very typical of the region.
Near the Hawa Mahal are large
numbers of shops dealing in antiques and pseudo-antiques. Some
shops opposite Hawa Mahal stock the famous Jaipuri quilts,
weighing from a few hundred grams to a kilogram.
The stone and marble carving
industry is also a famous art of Jaipur. The stone used is either
procured from within Jaipur or from the marble mines of Makrana,
the famous quarry that provided all the marble stone for one of
the wonders of the world at Agra the Taj Mahal The carvings
portraits and busts created in Jaipur are held in high esteem
everywhere.
Shopping Arcades
Jauhari Bazar: This is where
you can buy jewellery and tie and dye sarees, two lanes joining
the main road - Gopalji ka Rasta and Haldion ka Rasta house
numerous establishments selling jewellery. On the main road itself
you find many silversmiths. Traditional tie and dye fabrics and
textiles are also available here.
Bapu Bazaar and Nehru Bazaar:
Here you can purchase textiles, local perfumes and shoes made of
camel skin.
Mirza Ismial Road (MI. Road):
The broad thoroughfare houses a large number of emporia selling a
variety of goods ranging from jewellery and brass work to
textiles, to blue pottery, to woodwork, etc. These shops stock a
large variety of goods to satisfy the tourists’ needs.
Tripolia Bazar and Chaura Rasta:
You can shop here for textiles, utensils, ironware and trinkets.
If you want to see the artisans at work, step into the side lanes
and see for yourself.
Shop at:
Ramganj Bazar for shoes or jutis as
they are called,
Kishanpol Bazar for tie and dye
textiles,
Maniharon Ka Rasta (Tripolia Bazar)
for lac bangles and other items,
Achrol House, Subhash Chowk for
carpets,
Khajano Ka Rasta for marble carving,
and
Sanganer village for block printing,
hand-made paper and blue pottery. |