Accompany Me On My Journeys

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Suggestions for the blog, poll questions, and elaborate answers to the poll questions are more than welcome. A big thank you for the overwhelming support so far. So long, till my next discovery slash adventure.

When I got to Hyderabad I made a list of places and things I had to do before I finished my MA. Lately Shilparamam had been calling out to me from that list. It was Dussera, which is a festival where people are supposed to shop and a close friends Birthday, which gave my friends and me a good enough excuse. Not like we needed one but moving on. Shilpramam is a handicraft fair of sorts where people from different parts of the country put up stalls. I was hoping there would be a variety of food stalls but people came there only to shop apparently.

Entry fees: 25 for adults and 10 rupees for children.
Timings: 10.30a.m. to 8.30 p.m.

The place has a very earthy feel to it. The gate was interesting, it looks more like the entrance to a fort. I am not sure why there is a man on a horse on either side. Maybe Shilparamam was supposed to be something else before they turned it into a handicrafts village in 92.






As you enter there is a small temple, or that is atleast what we thought it was with statues of devotees dancing in amusing and strange poses. My demented and spontaneous friend decided she must pose like one of them and I clicked away.
 Below on the left was a beautiful statue of Ganpati blessing all the people who enter into the paradise called Shilparamam and decide to buy themselves and their family wonderful gifts. On the right is a chime on the gate that I took a fancy to, it just had such a rustic charm.

An ethnic shopper would go berserk like the way we did. And the biggest plus point was that although each of us had atleast three bags each we had still not burnt a hole in our wallets. Haggling can work wonders, if you know the tricks of the bargain trade. We had bought stoles, skirts, kurtas and there were sarees, bags,chappels, dress materials, jewellery and much much more. All the stuff like I mentioned earlier was ethnic to the roots, so people who like flashing brands, this is definitely not your deal.






As I walked around I lost my friends a number of times, rather we all lost each other. The various colours, fabrics, trinkets called out to us. Just walking by those colours can also be quite an experience as you hear various languages, tourists or even locals. There was a flirtatious Gopala, who was very eager to be photographed. He beckons and I already well amused go up to him and I am given a card and told to e-mail the picture. Check him out in the video below, he is such a star!



Check out:
Shilparamam's official site

Snuggled in a by-lane of Goa close to Calungute beach, easily unnoticed lies a heaven for book-lovers. A book store that serves coffee, sandwiches, eggs and wine from the mini-menu that comes to mind.

Literati's mini-menu

People who like their books categorised and alphabetically organised should stick to the Oxford store, not so far away.

Literati has the feel of a local library but much cosier, with a couch set and a stool perched beside the window facing a garden.

There are books on the couch, on the table in front of the couch, on the shelves, on the stool, a paradise for someone who likes the idea of being surrounded by books.

 Many might not go to Goa for a quiet time but many will agree that it is nothing but bliss to be lying on a bench  by the sun, sand and the sea, soaking into a book. The store on the other hand offers the view to a garden. The only depressing thing is that you cannot step out of the store to read the book in the garden or even on the steps. But you can enjoy your coffee and eggs outside reading a newspaper perhaps.
ps: Thanks to Satwik for telling me about Literati. God Bless you!

The way to the store. (ps: You can see the window I mentioned) In conclusion if you want an Un-Goa experience in Goa head off to Literati, to the land of colourful, gripping, binded books and read on for hours without any disturbance or anyone bothering you for a cup of coffee. It is also a place in Goa where you won't get uncomfortable to go with your children.