Shopping
The historic city of Hyderabad is a shopper's delight!
From the world famous pearls to traditional arts & crafts, from textiles of all modern brand names to ethnic wear, the city offers an astounding variety of shopping. And what's more unlike many other cities, shopping is not confined to a particular area in Hyderabad. If you want to take home the delights of Hyderabad, take a stroll in many markets in the evening... the city is bound to charm you with its warm touch and hearty glitter.
The main shopping areas include Basheerbagh, Abids and Nampally. You can find everything in the biggest showrooms from jewellery, textiles, handicrafts to footwear, ready-mades and general goods in the markets. Other favoured places are Begum Bazaar (brassware), Laad Bazaar (diamonds, pearls and precious metals) and Mahatma Gandhi Road.
The other areas in the City, which are turning into hubs for shoppers include Ameerpet, Himayatnagar, Begumpet, Somajiguda and Punjagutta. The City also boasts of mega malls providing everything under one roof from shopping to entertainment and food, giving the shoppers a unique experience. Pearls & Jewellery
Continuing the ancient prosperous pearl trade, of the expensive, the exclusive and the rarest in the world, Hyderabad still remains the pearl capital! Artisans have over the centuries become experts in segregating, categorizing and polishing pearls to give them various attractive hues. Hyderabad is today a world leader in the pearl trade.
Hyderabad itself is known for its bangles made of glass and lacquer and studded with stones. In recent times, manufacturers have started giving varieties fancy names akin to those of popular Hindi movies. The place to shop for bangles of the largest variety and at reasonable prices is the Laad Bazaar adjacent to the historic Charminar. And shopping here is really awe-inspiring experience for new comers as they witness the markets around the Charminar are as old as the city itself, 400 years and more!! Laad Bazaar
(Near Charminar) World famous for artificial stone bangles. Adorn yourself with the most scintillating melange of Lac bangles, richly studded with precious and semi-precious stones, pearls and glass beads in different colours and shades. Handlooms & Sarees
Hyderabad has innumerable showrooms that showcase the most distinctive heritages of the city - Handlooms. Dharmavaram silk saris, with their broad borders & woven brocaded gold patterns. Narayanpet saris are the rare blend of the native tradition with the art of the classical weavers of Varanasi, Venkatagiri saris, with graceful strains of gold. Pochampalli saris, woven using the exclusive lkat technique, Gorgeous Gadwal and enticing Kothakota saris typify Andhra traditional style. Handicrafts - the magic of the hands
Handicrafts and toys are among the most sought-after pieces for the shop-goers in Hyderabad. There is the Bidriware or inlaying of sliver on black metal-ware that makes lovely decorative pieces, while Persian art is one that became popular in here.
Another art that was also influenced by Persian culture was 'Kalamkari' where a quill is used to paint on fabric. There are two types of Kalamkari in Andhra Pradesh. One is the decorative and wall-hanging pieces of Srikalahasti in Chittoor district while the other is block printing on fabrics for dress material and furnishing at Machilipatnam in Krishna district.
Paintings from Cheriyal and brass metalware from Pembarti, both in Warangal district, are the legacy of the benign Kakatiya rulers. The paintings in Cheriyal are done on scrolls to depict scenes from mythology while the sheet metal-ware is for decorative pieces. Shilparamam
An ethnic art and craft village. Try some of the spectacular objects of art, crafts, beautiful and decorative knick-knacks of all kinds, traditional handloom textiles, carpets, durries and bed linen made here.
Kondapalli Toys
Colourful representations of mythological figures from Hindu epics, birds, animals and occupations of daily life, these toys have a distinct and unique style, making it one of the most popular souvenirs for tourists.
Bidriware
Bidri, an ancient art, has been aptly made to suit contemporary taste such as cuff-links, vases, ashtrays, ornaments, knick-knacks, nameplates and more. Famed for the stunning contrasts provided by the shining silver and brass inlay work, the unique charm of Bidriware cannot be claimed by any other metalware.
Nirmal Art
Working with plain embossed designs, Nirmal paintings are exquisite in style and theme portraying its grandeur with softwood as the prime media with indigenous colours.
Brass ware
You can get marvelous brassware, from the famous master craftmen of Pembarti. Painstakingly created, these exhilarating beautiful statuettes, figurines and decorative panels make wonderful gifts. Gnapika Souvenir Shop
AP Tourism has created an additional facility for visiting tourists by opening souvenir and handicraft shops. Christened 'Gnapika', they will depict handicrafts and handlooms of Andhra Pradesh. To begin with, they have been opened at Ravindra Bharati and Mahtaab Restaurant in Hyderabad, Punnami Hotel at Visakhapatnam, Punnami Beach Resort at Rishikonda, Punnami Hotel at Araku and Punnami Hotel at Srisailam.
Hyderabad is the one answer to the large number of wishes of discerning travelers, out to enjoy themselves in a grandeur meant for 'Nawabs' (Kings). | 
