Arts, Crafts and More in Kalanjali
what you see – Kalanjali was once known only for his arts and crafts. But apart from home decoration stuff, what you can see here are lots of sarees and dress materials. Anyway, before visiting this store, it is better to decide what exactly you want to buy. That’s because once you step inside, you’ll be stunned just by looking at the huge collection of clothing, home decor items, handlooms, and the like.
What you get – Kalanjali has two sections: the fancy clothing section and the handloom section. The huge air conditioned fancy clothing section again has separate sections for children’s clothing, men’s clothing, and of course women’s clothing (most of the space). And right next to the children’s section, there is a children’s area where the little ones can enjoy themselves while their moms splurge. The area is small but serves the purpose.
In fact, the variety in children’s clothing is also huge here. Well designed dresses, ghaghras, skirts, western wear, salwar suits, stone studded three piece suits, jeans, kurta pajamas and sherwanis with stoles are all available here. A stone-encrusted and embroidered three-piece suit for a 5-6 year old costs just over 13,000 rupees here.
Men can see popular brands like Wills, Louis Philippe, Indian Terrain, Blackberry, Pepper, and Levi’s here, along with embroidered kurta pajamas and sherwanis. As far as the women’s collection is concerned, salwar suits (some are really gaudy and garish), chiffon and silk fabric, jute skirts with nice paintings all over (Rs. 650 and up), kurtis and ghaghras is what have. Ritu Kumar’s designer clothes are also available here, with prices going up to Rs 60,000.
The handloom section here has dress fabrics in Jaipur and Orissa Cotton, Mangalgiri, Kalamkari and Pochampalli. Kurtis, dupattas, cotton ghaghras and sarees are available here. You can even get casual and party kurtas (above Rs. 1200 but worth checking out), sherwanis and dhotis.
Go one floor above that and you’ll see a wide collection of arts and crafts ranging from handmade rosewood dining tables (over Rs. 2 lakh), miniature temples (mandirs), swings and sofa sets to paintings, stoneware (see the unique marble pieces), metalware, and a gigantic 10-foot wooden carving of Lord Venkateshwara.
The verdict – If there is a wedding at home, this place is worth a try, especially for the ladies. Party kurtas are a must. And among the pieces of art, they have some exclusive ones made of marble. Look at them. Hey wait! Before you pick up your car keys to visit this store, make sure your pockets are deep enough to handle the sky-high prices, too.
