Event Alert - WEAVES - The cotton & Silk Spectrum

When - 8th to 13th July, 2015

Where - Sindhoor Convention Hall,
             15th cross, 1st Phase, J. P. Nagar, Ring Road
             Bengaluru, Karnataka - 560078

            The Lalit Ashok Hotel,
            Kumara Krupa High Grounds,
            Next to CM Guest House,
            Bengaluru, Karnataka - 560001

Time - 11 AM to 9 PM

Started in 2006, WEAVES is an effort to promote the excellent workmanship, colour combinations and fine quality of Indian handlooms. It is also a step to help weavers earn their livelihood through their traditional profession and pass the skills from generation to generation keeping the weaving tradition alive. It creates a marketing platform for weavers to sell their products directly to customers all across the country.

WEAVES, has traditional Indian handlooms in cotton, silk and other natural fibres that are known for their richness, exquisiteness, variety and fine quality which are an integral part of Indian culture. Passage of time has brought about a change in the weaves, patterns and designs boasting of glamour, magnificence and exquisiteness but the importance of handlooms still remains the same.

WEAVES has a unique collection of sarees, dresses and dress materials, kurtas, kurthis, stoles, dupattas, bedsheets, home linen and many more. It covers variety from every nook and corner of the country and offers something for every age group. From kids, college students, office goers to elders, there is something for every age group. 

Event Alert - Kitsch Mandi Summer Night Market

When - Saturday, 23rd May, 4 PM to 1 AM

Where -  Pebble, Palace Grounds, Bangalore. gate no 9.

Innovative curated flea market + Live painting + Yarn bombed performance art + Live music + home made food and more. And all this under the starry sky and a beautiful banyan tree. 

Line up starts at 6 PM

Mana from Chand bibi and The Waste Candidates 

MADBOY/MINK EP launch 

Aqua dominatrix Live 

Gautham Reddy 

Entry Rs. 200

Tickets on insider.in

Children below 14 enter free 

Doggies welcome!

Store Tour – The Silver Shop

Warm and beckoning!

The jeweller allows me to wear the sapphire blue lake on my finger, emerald green leaves around my neck, and take the citrine sunset with me wherever I go. Jewellery has become my daytime link to nature in an office with no windows. And if I have to work late, there's nothing like diamond stars and a pearl full moon against an onyx night sky. ~Astrid Alauda

This quote beautifully summarizes the allure of jewellery.  It transcends beyond being a mere accessory; it evokes memories, arouses feelings, induces poise and makes you feel unique. I am not much of a jewellery person and more into minimalistic delicate jewellery. But I have recently discovered the power of accessories for an outfit and started dabbling in some statement jewellery and now I am always on the lookout for unique pieces. My ex room-mate Madhavi introduced me to this amazing shop around 4 years back and I still have not gotten over it!  Every time I am in Commercial Street I always have a quick peek.

This tiny shop in Commercial Street in Bangalore is a stylist’s paradise. Stocked with silver jewellery and gemstones, this shop is like a candy land full of colourful gemstones of all varieties, some known and some unknown. It is here that I first saw Alexandrite which is a rare gemstone that changes colour depending on the light and is often described by gem aficionados as “emerald by day, ruby by night”.  Having started with made to order gold jewellery way back in 1958, this shop now specializes in silver and semi-precious gemstone jewellery owing to the turn in the trend since the past 10-15 years. Sourcing the pieces from all over India, you can see the fine craftsmanship and artistry of the silversmiths from different states and regions, each distinct with their trademark style. Most of the silver jewellery is handmade and has this charm and uniqueness about it that can only be brought by the touch of human hand. They also stock machine made fine silver chains, bangles etc but they are not half as impressive as the handmade ones.

The sheer variety of stock here ensures a constant stream of customers and the shop is always over flowing. Mr. Babu Prasad, the owner of this place attributes this success to the perfect vaastu of Commercial Street. Being close to the cantonment area during the British occupation, Commercial Street received patronage of the British officers whose wives were enchanted by the wares of this exotic land! Commercial Street was indeed the commercial hub of Bangalore and its significance is obvious by its pin code – 560001. Even now it is the first place we think of when it comes to shopping for fabric and jewellery. But now the charm of the Commercial Street is fading according to Mr. Prasad and it is becoming too commercial (now that’s an oxymoron). Earlier all the shops on Commercial Street had houses attached behind the shop façade but now none of the families live here, they have all migrated to better homes and greener pastures. Mr. Prasad’s shop cum house is the only house left on Commercial Street where people still live. This 160 year old house has seen 5 generations and is still standing firm. Apparently this house is somewhat of an architectural marvel having a 22x22 feet hall without any pillars.

I had an amazing time talking with Mr. Prasad and his lovely wife about their shop, the nuances of the silver jewellery and gemstones and history of Commercial Street. However if you want to explore the shop at leisure, I suggest you visit over a weekday when they are comparatively less occupied and will show you box after box of wonders till you have found what you are looking for. It is definitely a must visit for finding unique statement jewellery that go well with ethnic as well as western wear. I specially love their mind boggling variety of silver jhumkis and my Mom loves their statement necklaces which look amazing when paired with crisp cotton sarees and even traditional silk sarees. Hope you will the find the shop as attractive as I do :)

Statement Necklaces galore!

Love their silver earrings collection

Arm candy

Array of silver jhumkas

Packed house

Statement rings with semi precious stones setting

The big picture

Necklaces with semi-precious beads

Pendants

Ganeshas in semi-precious stones

Last glance

Address: The Silver Shop, 28 Commercial Street. Bangalore

Just ahead of Krishniah Chetty Jewellers on Commercial Street if you are coming from Mysore Udyog side. 

Timings: 11.30 AM to 2.30 PM and 4 PM to 7 PM (closes in between for lunch)

You may want to check out my other Commercial Street finds:
Store Tour - Asiatic Arts and Crafts

Store Tour – Mecca Lifestyle

Store Tour – Mecca Lifestyle

Love at first sight!

Roaming the by lanes of Commercial street I stumbled (yup stumble a lot but always with a good find so far, so touchwood :P) upon my dream kitchen. Yup you read it right, a store selling stuff of my kitchen dreams lodged in a busy commercial street by lane amidst the stores selling handbags, footwear, accessories and all those things synonymous with Commercial Street shopping. As I stared entranced debating whether my mind was playing games with me due to the overdose of drool inducing cookery shows on  TLC and Foxlife with the equally drool worthy cookware, when the elegant store lady with chicest outfit for her age invited me with a broad smile. I followed her inside determined not to buy anything as I really did not have space or occasion for fancy cookware and declared it at the outset. Sensing that I was a first timer at the store, the lady showed me around patiently yet stepping back and giving me space to marvel and examine the pieces closely. The store had the most exquisite handpicked yet affordable collection of ceramic cookware and crockery I had ever seen up close. They had rows of neatly arranged dinner sets, tea sets, soup bowls, mugs, jugs, serve ware, oven friendly cookware, diffusers, vases, and the list is endless. I just couldn't decide which amongst the colourful yet earthy pieces were my favourite and ended up going around in circles in the tiny space of kitchen paradise I just discovered and also felt that my resolute control of not buying was slowly fading away replaced by panic that I would not be able to buy my dream’s worth this time!

The store had at least eight collections of dinner sets and serve ware in various motifs and colours which Noori; the aforementioned elegant lady J  and also the proprietor of the store; informed me were in Mughal or multi Mughal style. She also told me that the pieces were handpicked by her and her family on their regular trips to UP, Agra, and Muradabad and that all of them are hand painted and hence each piece was unique in its own way. While she was highlighting the nuances of the pieces with additional inputs from her husband, in walked two sturdy men who turned out to be her sons and I witnessed a most funny yet touching scene where each family member was trying to tell the story of their business and how it started etc. It was heartening to see the sons so involved and so proud of their mother. They are this one big happy family with entrepreneurship in their blood each supporting each other’s ventures and interests. Turns out their family business started way back in the 1920’s with balloons and moved to buttons, electric, and plastic to more recently a circulating library from 1974 to 2010 when the ceramics business was started. On top of it, Noori also had a successful boutique till some time back with some regular clients still coming back to her even now. I forgot to compliment her on her outfit the other day but let me say it now that it was very chic and classy, long kurta with palazzos J. She dabbles in interiors also but for now the ceramic business is her baby that she is nurturing and she has plans to slowly include more household stuff also into the store.  The store is an apt gift place (cough cough, birthday next month :P) where all the pieces are useful, long lasting, and functional and not to mention very aesthetic. They would make excellent gifts for housewarming, wedding or even Mother’s day. And of course the warm conversation is the icing on the cake! All in all a warm place with a warm lot, definitely worth a visit J

 Genie in a bottle!

  

Yellow or blue? I say both!

 Loved the blue block print stlye mugs top right

 Big fat planter

 Too many choices!

 Got a pie dish in blue :)

 Pretty window display

Psst: Noori knows Commerical Street like the back of her hand and can give excellent pointers on where to get good fabric, sarees, silver jewellery etc J

Address: #4/2, China Bazaar, Commercial Street Cross, Next to Shiv Sagar Hotel, Bangalore – 560001

From Commercial Street, take the lane adjacent to Anand Sweets.

You may want to check out my other Commercial Street find:
Store Tour - Asiatic Arts and Crafts

Store Tour - Pooja Craft Fair

Good things come from the most unexpected quarters. I learnt this when I checked out a small shop which I pass by almost every day and also the same shop where I got my terracotta urli from. Terracotta Ganeshas are quite the rage nowadays and this place has a huge collection of Ganeshas in all shapes and sizes and poses. My favourite is the Ganesha in the gondola :D. Another favourite is a “magic lamp” which the owner will be more than happy to demonstrate. Apart from Ganeshas, the shop also has lot of terracotta figurines of gods and goddesses. There are also terracotta dolls depicting people from different occupations like vegetable vendor, iron smith, carpenter etc along with dolls of birds and animals. The precision and the detailing of the work are amazing and so are the innovative stances in which Ganesha has been molded. These are ideal for bombe habba/bommala koluvu (the doll festival during Navaratri in South India). They also seem like a good option for return gifts or wedding favours especially the Ganeshas. And the cost is lesser than those available in malls/online though bargaining is not at all entertained. I have seen these kinds of clay dolls in Jayanagar BDA complex as well but the quality and finishing is not as good as these. The owner tells me that they have a workshop near Hebbal where they create these dolls with the help of local artists who design them. The diversity and range of Indian handicrafts is mindboggling and needs our support to reach its full potential. A recently concluded handicraft fair generated business enquiries worth Rs.2500 crore (read article here).  It is good to see such trade fairs happening for promoting the Indian handicraft sector. The government seems to be waking up to the need to tap into this sector by bringing it back into limelight. We should also do our bit in promoting and supporting the artists of India :)

Where - Right opposite Ragi Gudda Temple, JP Nagar, third shop on the left

Terracotta Ganeshas (the gondola one is too cute :))

Note the details, so realistic

Loved the Rabindranath Tagore plaque

All shapes and sizes

 My favourites - the magic lamp and the boatman :)

Psst...another vendor in the same shop has the cutest of ethnic wear for kids. Damn cute :)

You may like to check out these posts too:

Street Steal - Terracotta Urli

Store Tour - Asiatic Arts and Crafts

Store Tour - Asiatic Arts and Crafts

Today I am sharing a treasure trove you will love rummaging through to find unique antique finish curios from whimsical birdcages to vintage looking clocks to ornate wall lamps and chandeliers to intricate brass work statues and lamps and door knockers. Tucked in a narrow tiny shop on the busy commercial street, this store is jam packed with all things pretty and the place where I had chanced upon my precious vintage looking birdcage spotted here and the stunning motorcycle miniature spotted in the third pic here. And when I say jam packed, I am not exaggerating, you remove one item from the shelf to admire it and a few more beautiful pieces will come tumbling down and so you will be drawn deeper into this treasure hunt. And it is indeed a treasure hunt, all you need is some patience and you can score some really unique curios at a reasonable price. And there is something for all tastes, be it quirky or vintage or ethnic or spiritual, the variety is mind boggling. It is also a very good place to find unique meaning full gifts for weddings or house warming (in fact I wouldn't mind anything from here on any occasion J). So check out this place the next time you are in Commercial Street.

Where - Right beside McDonald's on Commercial Street, Bangalore

The board is misleading, Kashmir House is the basement shop.

Left or right? I think it was one before...I prefer the left one...

Treasure trove!

I am not blowing my own trumpet...but this is awesome :D

Serene

Beautiful and intricate - Vishnu on Ananta Sesha

Stuck in a time warp

Tu cheez badi hais mast mast (brilliant joke isn't it? :D)

Bling Ring

Light at end of the tunnel

One last glimpse

Tip - There is scope for bargaining, so give it a shot. Also check the piece thoroughly before you buy it as there was a slight defect in one of the pieces I bought there. Happy treasure hunting! :)

Event Alert - Vintage Photography Exhibition of Raja Deen Dayal

When - Till 20th July, 2014

Where - National Gallery Of Modern Art, Bangalore

Lala Raja Deen Dayal, pioneer Indian 19th century photographer(1844-1905) has left for us an exquisite photographic record of British India, of a bygone Colonial era influenced by Native Princely India- its picturesque opulence, rich costumes, whiskered nobility, hookah bearers, royal palaces, hunts, and parades, elephant carriages, historic events - golden moments captured on "silver" plates for posterity

It was not only in his portraitures and "sovereign scenarios" that Lala Deen Dayal excelled. His lens captured the culture and tradition of India's rich architectural heritage, temples, monuments, forts, views, and memorials. His extensive series of Indian views forms a timeless travelogue of the country.

This unique repertoire of the excellence of Black and White photography, with early techniques, processes and equipment is being displayed in the exhibition.

Event Alert - Mini Malnad Mela

Vanastree means “women of the forest” and is a women-farmers’ seed saving trust based in the Western Ghats of South India. The Malnad Mela is a space for gathering, sharing, celebration and reflection to display and share their produce and creations and appreciate our bio-cultural wealth.

Join in to share garden and forest produce:
Organic, open pollinated seeds
Kokam nectar and jam
Snacks and pickles including the new Jackfruit seed chakli
Wild fig preserve
Cocoa Maya and Peppy peanut butter
Dried pineapple
Starfruit candy
Soapberry shampoo
Ragi from the fields of a Soliga youth farmer
Crafts and more

Mela special! Grow A Garden – a graphic booklet for aspiring and experienced gardeners.

When - 18th and 18th July,                                      When - 20th July,

10.30 A.M to 6.30 P.M                                             10.30 A.M to 6.30 P.M

Where - Greenlife Organic Store,                            Where - VRIKSH-THE ORGANIC STORE, 

Shri Krishna Temple Road,                                      3rd Main Road,

Behind CMH Road,                                                   Vyalikaval, Bengaluru

Indira Nagar, Bengaluru

Check out their website and facebook page for more info about the trust.

Event Review – Sampoorn Santhe 2014

My mom  is a huge patron of handicraft exhibitions and has the knack of picking up the most unique and classy sarees from them, so much so that almost all her sarees are from one or the other event like Weaves. She has collected quite a few trendy sarees for me from Assam Silk to Murshidabad Silk to a lovely one with katha embroidery. And not only sarees, even costume jewellery made of beads, statement necklaces, paintings, wall hangings, and various other artifacts and curios. Every time I go to Vizag from Bangalore, she has a new collection to show off and we would spend a good part of the first day discussing and marveling about them. I was so amazed by the unique and innovative products that I gave standing instructions to my mom to pick up anything which she deemed fit for me. She has an awesome taste but I usually do not like what she picks in the first glance but it would grow on me and become my favourite over time! (I can see mom shaking her head sarcastically with a half smile :P). In a bid to know more about our indigenous art and crafts and develop an eye for a good work of art, I also have started frequenting the art and craft and handloom exhibitions and I am hooked! I love strolling through them more than hanging out in a mall now (cultural evolution or first signs of old age? :D). So when Sampoorn Santhe happened to be in town coinciding with my parent’s visit, I made it a point to make a trip, the whole family in tow J

                If I have to describe Sampoorn Santhe briefly, I would say amalgamation of traditional arts and techniques with a clever and modern twist. I loved the fact that most of the things there would blend well with the decors and the tastes of today yet showcasing the rich heritage of crafts and highlight the finesse of the artists. Also true to their motto of “back to nature”, there are a lot of things made of recycled/repurposed materials and made of biodegradable materials and organic stuff. There are artists and NGOs from all over the country and it is heartening to see their dedication, sincerity and most of all their simplicity. They are eager to share their knowledge and their stories, and it makes for wonderful conversations. The prices are bit on the higher side for some products but I think that when we do not question branded stuff on their rates, we should give the artists a little leeway and not weigh the product in terms of whether it is worth the money. The santhe is held in the premises of Chitrakala Parishat which is a perfect setting for this kind of event. The colorful stalls nestled amidst the lovely green cover of Chitrakala Parishat are a treat to the eyes and you can easily spend an entire afternoon wandering through the place. And if you get tired, head over to the campus canteen for a reviving cup of filter coffee and a plate of hot pakodas or Mangalore bajjis J

So do visit it. It’s going on till 22nd June, 2014.

Here is Sampoorn Santhe through my lens (I know I totally went over board and went clickety-click :D)

Cool accessories

Loved the banana fiber bags and the colorful Channapatna stall

One of my favourite stalls - Ochre

Varied textiles

Loved the "Bajhinga" t-shirt :)

And the planters you see in the corner of the lower right pic are made of polythene covers!

Handmade organic toys

Black stone pottery and those picnic baskets!

Bonsai for sale

Loved the precision in both

Top pic - The hanging planter is made of dried lauki (bottle gourd)

Bottom Pic- The tree cover saved us from the afternoon sun :)

Loved the streamers made of printed fabric, such a unique idea!

The night view is equally beautiful

Coffee and bajji break after a long afternoon

Check out their facebook page for more photos.

Quick tip – Parking might be a problem as there is limited parking inside the venue and others are being redirected to Crescent Road for the same.