The countdown to the move has begun and one of my priorities is to complete my list of Delhi to-dos, be it shopping, eating or sightseeing. I'd been toying with the idea of buying a typical saree from these parts, you know like the ones seen in Bollywood movies :) The problem really is that coming from the South, one's taste seems to be more subtle and less inclined (or very wary of) bling. It has been pretty amusing to see my Marwari and Punjabi friends cock a snook at my beautiful Paithanis, Kanthas, Pochampallis and Kanjeevarams (these are priceless heritage weaves people!!!) while lusting after net, georgette and supernet sarees which seemed excessively showy, blingy and shiny to my eyes.
But now that I am leaving, I thought I must buy atleast one of these sarees. A souvenir from Delhi must be obtained! Something typical, yet subdued enough to appeal to my taste. So some friends and I took the metro to Kamla Nagar where the shopping (and chole bhatures and panipuri) is supposed to be out of this world!
Having been to the shopping hotspots in Delhi like Lajpat Nagar, Karol Bagh and Sarojini Nagar, I wasn't expecting too much but was pleasantly surprised by how large and well-stocked the market was. We bought a lot of stuff but the main agenda was saree-shopping. The ones that I liked, my friends were doubtful about.
Hame Marwari colour dikhao, bhaiyya, was their refrain; while I pressed for more sober shades, less kundan and silver work, more brocade work and embroidery - in short, as un-Marwari as I could get!
Needless to say they preferred a bright blue and parrot green saree for me while I finally went with a heavily embroidered dark green and beige combination :)
We rounded off the day with a spot of chole-bhature (awesome!) and some freshly squeezed sugarcane juice.
A day well-spent :) Leaving you with some snaps.
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| Checking out the wares |
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| This was the line for the chole-bhature. We waited for more than 30 minutes to attain nirvana! |
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| More sarees |
Aaah! Chole bature there is to die for!My mouth is watering
ReplyDeleteI'm going to miss it :( Oh well..there's always mysore masala dosa!
DeleteHa ha, good idea! I agree with the blingy stuff but they do manage to carry it off, so I think it depends on one's bling quotient. It's been years since I've done saree shopping!
ReplyDeleteYup my bling quotient is pretty low...but I got adventurous this time :)
DeleteI love those TV serial sarees and jewellery too, but refrain from buying them because I am not used to so much bling, and also because I think I'd not be able to carry them off as well as those heroines do. :D
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. I will keep this in mind for my next Delhi visit. :) Thank you!
Arre, you should have posted a snap of both the saree your friends chose for you and the one you finally bought na? :( Would have loved to see them! I love bold, bright colours, though, so I guess I would have loved the one your friends chose. :)
I know TGND...shd have clicked some more snaps...but got caught up in the shopping!! Anyway I will post the pix of the sarees that I bought - right now they are getting "finished" in kamla nagar and I will get them only after a week.
DeleteWould love to see a pic of you in this saree :).. and i totally get what you mean about bling.. I don't even wear Kanjeevaram type stuff any more and I can literally see people turning up their noses ;).
ReplyDeleteAnd I have to start making notes for that Delhi trip already.. hopefully will include the chole bhature fingers crossed.
Yeah I'll click a pic and post it on fb...planning to wear it for my "farewell" here :)
DeleteTo be honest, the chole bhature was really good; but u get the same quality in haldirams, which are ubiquitous in Delhi. So you should have no trouble tasting the same thing :) Remember to ask me for the food walk in Chandni chowk.
I'm now mildly irritated - why did u not come last year????? :(
I miss the Pav Bhaji and banta guy near the Gol Chakkar. How I miss Kamla Nagar!! :(
ReplyDeleteI think we saw the pav bhaji guy...but we ran out of time. Unfortunately. Maybe, if there is a next time...
Deletechacha ke chole bhature... frontier ke biscuit... and that saree shop! yaar kya yaadein taaza ki!
ReplyDelete:) Chache di hatti :)
Deleterofl on : "the problem really is that coming from the South, one's taste seems to be more subtle and less inclined (or very wary of) bling. "
ReplyDeleteFor panju and marhu standards, in Delhi, I always considered myself to be among the more soberly dressed people, till I moved to Chennai and realized I was too jhataak :D lol, but I mostly stuck to it :P
Yeah I also agree u are one of the most sober specimens I have met from North India :) Any more sober and u will get excommunicated :))
DeleteBtw recently saw a kid from Chennai wearing a very jhatak dress picked up from RASI...fusion of north and south....it was jhatak but my tastes have also changed and I quite liked it :)
DeleteHey Aparna - you can well believe how much I would have enjoyed this post. The little things about India! Esp sari shopping etc. I keep telling my kids to please come with me and live with me in India for one year even if their dad cannot come with us! If I stood in line and had that chole bature - I would probably be in the hospital for 2 days. Been so long since I ate out in India like that. When I came in 06 I did not because of other reasons. I have now train my tummy to slowly accept all the outside foods. I used to eat everything! I so want to shop in Delhi.
ReplyDeleteEmail me pics of you in the Saris ok, please!
Sure I will. The sarees are getting "finished"..still have to get blouses done etc...but will email you for sure.
DeleteShopping in delhi is fun fare... seems u enjoyed both food and shopping... btw where is the saree pic that you finally purchased..:)
ReplyDeleteOh absolutely, Sohni, DElhi is so much fun for both! Will put up the saree pic too :)
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