Navigate | slice of life Bangle Bouquet

It’s impossible to resist the lure of Laad | By Arundhati Nath

Nestled in ’s Old City (left), is a heady swirl of colour, scent, and sound. Most popular among the market’s wares, are flashy, crystal-studded laad (lacquer) bangles.

atching the honking My eyes dance excitedly over pair start at `6 and can go up ATLAS cars choking the old, the many distractions as the to `10,000. Haggling with the W narrow street near the Hyderabad, calls of shopkeepers fill the air. shopkeepers is an important part , I wonder if I’ll ever At every stall there are rows and of the experience. The huddle be able to cross the road. Despite rows of bangles, piled neatly from of shops never seems to run the heavy traffic and scorching top to bottom. I step into Aarzoo out of customers who want to heat, I am on my third visit to Bangles and Jewellers, one of try on and buy different styles. Laad Bazaar, a jewellery market the first shops I see. Faiyyaz, the At another stall, I must have a in Hyderabad’s Old City area, salesman who attends to me, delightful set of white bangles famous for its colourful lacquer shows me bright golden kadas, adorned with multi-coloured and glass bangles. A young traffic The Old City studded with green and red stones. Like me, other women policeman who helps me cross area has a stones. He gauges my size and around are also quickly stacking number of the road, waves me across with a markets slips a thick bangle onto each up their purchases. Surrounded smile and sage advice: “Be sure besides Laad wrist. The intricate stone work is by the smell of ittar, the glitter of to bargain well. Don’t settle for Bazaar. There’s bewitching. Faiyyaz quickly adds the bangles, and the warmth of anything less than 40 per cent an assortment of shimmering the people who work here, for a lower than the price quoted.” I for household glass bangles on to my wrists, brief moment I feel I’ve caught smile back, and walk into the things, Patel making me feel like a princess. a glimpse of a lost era of Nawabi Market for four-centuries-old market. wholesale According to local lore, royalty, where tehzeeb, the right Located a short walk west of cloth, and Golconda’s sultan and founder etiquette, reigned. the city’s iconic Charminar, the Gulzar Hauz for of Hyderabad, Muhammed kilometre-long stretch of Laad gold and pearls. Quli Qutb Shah is believed to Bazaar is filled with shops selling have built this bazaar for royal Vitals bright, dazzling bangles in every guests during the wedding of his Laad Bazaar is located on imaginable colour. There are daughter. The word “laad” simply the road branching out west also shops that sell wedding means lacquer. of the Charminar in the Old finery, a variety of ittar, henna, This vibrant arcade is City area of Hyderabad (daily handicrafts, pearl jewellery, and considered the largest bangle 11 a.m.-9 p.m.). many other knick-knacks. market in . Prices for a (bangles) rao parikshit (monument), simon reddy/alamy/indiapicture

october 2014 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA 2