Drapes and Glitter

03:44:00 Unknown 3 Comments

Trying to know the city better I took a stroll in the lanes of South Mumbai and found myself in the midst of one of the most famous local markets of Mumbai. Making my way through the cramped streets of Crawford market, a signboard with Mangaldas market written in English, Hindi and Gujarati welcomed me. From outside, the place seems like just an alley of clothing shops but on the inside, it is a maze, draped in colours and glitter. One lane lead to three others and those three will take you deeper into the market to more alleys. The lanes are small and narrow but explode with colours and textures ranging from silk to chiffon, from print to embroidery, from plain to bling, name it and you’ve got it. The profusion of skirts sarees, and dupattas, made me want to own them all.

he market, a hub for fabric lovers is always bustling with crowds leaving no space to spare. Be it a wedding season or not, it is always festive here. The shopkeepers here, though busy, are very polite and receive everyone enthusiastically, no matter if someone bought just a dupatta or a dozen sarees. 

After exploring the lanes of Mangaldas market, I went to Zaveri Bazar on the street opposite to Mangaldas market. A jewellery market, Zaveri Bazar is the place to gold, silver and imitation jewellery. The market has both branded jewellers such as TBZ and the local ones. I got a pretty good deal for silver rings at one of the local shops and it made me beam like a kid.

Though there is no dearth of branded stores and shopping complexes in Mumbai, markets like Mangaldas market and Zaveri Bazar are the charm of the city. If you want to see another side of the bustling maximum city, do visit these markets once.