# Shopping For Silk In Bangalore



## CaliforniaDreamer (Nov 17, 2005)

I recently visited Bangalore on a business trip. It's not a place to go to see the sights, but it does have some good shopping and dining.

One great shop we found was called Mysore Saree Udyog. It's in Kamaraj Rd, near the the city's commercial road district. It's a two-storey haberdashery selling every kind of silk you can imagine. Sarees, stoles, scarves, kurtha, pajamas, cushion covers, shirts, ties and so on. Not to mention bolts of silk that you can just order lengths from.

It was marriage season when we were there (just after harvest) so the place was packed with Indian ladies getting their new outfits for theirs or their friends weddings.

I was looking for some scarves for my wife and in-laws, and went up to the second floor. You sit at a bar (I almost felt like ordering a glass of Kingfisher) and a sales assistant plonks some scarves down in front of you. Then some more. And then some more. Soon you're wading through mountains of fabric getting an idea of patterns, colours, styles and cuts that you're interested in. Once you show an interest in something, they'll then wheel out about half a dozen variations on the same thing.

It's pretty well impossible not to find something you'll like, and even the guys were buying up like mad. I bought loads of them, and ended up spending just a little over $A100. The most expensive I bought came to about $A15. That's about what I'd expect to pay for a cheap polyester scarf at a department store here in Melbourne. I was certainly Mr Popular with my female relatives when I got home.

Here's a couple of photos of the shop, plus some of the things that I bought there. Pictures, of course, cannot capture the beautiful texture of these fabrics, and hardly do justice to the rich colours and fine detail.

https://img138.imageshack.us/my.php?image=silks3ps.jpg

https://img215.imageshack.us/my.php?image=silks21ct.jpg

https://img46.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scarf62gz.jpg

https://img46.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scarf56401lw.jpg

https://img116.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scarf46403an.jpg

https://img103.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scarf36402np.jpg

https://img103.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scarf26407lo.jpg

Hopefully you can find your way to this place and have as much fun as I did.

P.S. Just as a tip, cab drivers will try to take you to tourist traps that they get commissions from, so you'll need to be very specific about where you want to go if you visit here.


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## Andy (Aug 25, 2002)

CaliforniaDreamer:

Good tips and great photos!! Anything left over on the cutting room floor would make wonderful pocket squares!


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## globetrotter (Dec 30, 2004)

there is a good department store in Bangalore too, not far from the airport, but I can't remember the name - Kamp something. I have bought my wife several outfits there, and after I suggested what I was basically looking for, they put on a fashion show for me, with a dozen or so models modeling possible outfits. prices for the suits were about $30 each, at the time. all silk pant, jacket and scarf suits.


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## AlanC (Oct 28, 2003)

Thanks for the info. Kalanjali is a good spot if you make it to Hyderabad. I brought quite a bit of silk back last year.


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## AlanC (Oct 28, 2003)

Because of CaliforniaDreamer's recommendation I stopped by Mysore Saree Udyog last week while in Bangalore. I was very pleased with the visit, and second CD's reommendation. The store is not glitzy, and clearly is not geared toward the tourist/business traveler market (a good thing). Primarily Indians were shopping there, which is usually a good sign as well. I found the scarf, et al selection wider than what I've seen previously but not particularly deep. Still, there was quite enough to keep me satisfied, and I hope to return again given the opportunity. Prices were the best I've seen; they have not fallen victim to Bangalore inflation (yet!). I'll not say how much I spent, but it was on the north side of what CD did.

If one happens to be in Chennai, I would recommend Nalli Silks. If you find a Kalanjali (there's one in Hyderabad), they are also worth visiting, but the prices are higher.


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