The charms of Lad Bazaar

It's like stepping into another world, another time. Lad Bazaar, a kilometre-long traditional shopping street leading from the Charminar, still manages to sparkle. For the Hyderabadi woman, Hindu or Muslim, no preparation for a wedding is complete without a trip to Lad Bazaar &mdash a shopping haven for an exquisite range of bridalwear, henna, attar, appliqu&eacuted and sequinned skirts, bags and belts set with the glittering mirrors and tiny beads of Banjara gypsies, glass and stone-studded lac bangles, a plethora of diamanté jewellery and fabrics embroidered with zardozi. You will find surma here and magical talismans exquisite beads, shops devoted to the finest lace, sherwanis befitting the grandest groom with every accompanying finery and, oddly enough, you&rsquoll be able to buy fishing tackle.

A popular story has it that Lad Bazaar traces its origin to Ladli Begum, the wife of Mir Mehboob Ali Khan, the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad. More likely however, it was corrupted from 'Lord Bazaar' after Lord Rippon or 'Laary Bazaar' for Golconda army general Abzur Razzaq Laary. The main street, a kaleidoscope of colours and endless movement, runs from Charminar to Mehboob Chowk. The street is sectioned into a number of alleys such as Chudi Bazaar, Meena Bazaar, and so on. And just where Lad Bazaar ends is a bird market with caged crows &mdash sick people buy them and set them free in the belief that by doing so they will be cured of their ailments.

It's a mellow Saturday afternoon when I amble along the alley, admiring the ornamental wooden balconies jutting out of plain fa&ccedilades, underneath which are clustered rows of glittering bangle shops. A salesman perched at the entrance of a little shop beckons to me and I soon find myself surrounded by dazzling circles of colours. The proprietor of Diamond Bangles slips a stylish kada onto my hand, happily pointing out that with the escalating demand, especially in the international market, the once humble trade has undergone a total makeover. &ldquoFrom just 30 shops a decade ago, to more than 300 today, we have indeed come a long way&rdquo he says, displaying to me his entire range, from a Rs 50 pair to bridal sets worth thousands.

Though many of the shops display 'Fixed Price' signs, bargaining is an expected and accepted practice here, in which I wholeheartedly engage. And before my admiring eyes, a workman melts the resinous lac onto the circular metal framework and arranges sparkling artificial stones, beads and glass fragments in a riot of colourful patterns into the hot resin. Just 30 minutes That's all it takes to put together a basic set of bangles. My next stop is Nizam Attar, a century-old shop in the same lane, stocked with beautiful swan-shaped perfume holders, containing attar extracted from flowers such as mogra, sampangi, rose and jasmine.

I wind up my shopping extravaganza, in true Hyderabadi style, with a cup of burqe-vali-chai (veiled tea &mdash referring to the thick layers of cream floating on top).

Lad Bazaar is open 11am-9pm on all days except Fridays