|  Hyderabad
has become a hub for many unique things. In its list of exquisites,
Hyderabad is also known for its ethnic attire. Its unique attire
includes numerous varieties of cottons and silks.
Today, I am going to introduce you
to this one outlet in Hyderabad, which is known for its ethnic handlooms
and eco-friendly crafts. Located in one of the oldest and busiest
lanes of the twin cities Parklane, is Tara’s 95 Parklane.
This shop was started keeping in mind the encouragement of weavers
and craftsmen. Mrs. Sarvamangala along with her mother-in-law Mrs.
Tara was always fond of handlooms. (Both saas-bahu interested in
one thing and also successful in it. Surprising!) They wanted to
do something that would help the poor weavers and craftsmen in endorsing
their art. Established in the year 1994, this twelve year old shop
has come a long way and is credited with immeasurable success. When
asked the lady herself about the origin of the shop, she said, “
Everybody is into promoting and endorsing foreign brands, what about
our own traditional clothes. So we thought why not promote our own
product – the Handlooms.”
Tara’s 95 Parklane is mainly
known for its explicit collection of handlooms like Mangalgiri from
Mangalgiri, Kalamkari from Machalipatnam, Pochampalli from Pochampalli,
Bengal cottons from Kolkata, Chettinads from Tamilnadu, Kotas from
Rajasthan, Materials with Block Prints from Gujarat and Rajasthan,
Narayanpets from Narayanpets and pure crapes and tussles. Ooh! An
exhaustive list of cotton. Isn’t it? I am sure most of you
must be familiar with the names I mentioned. This array of handlooms
is a rage in Hyderabad. Right from the olden days, these dressing
materials are being liked and preferred by the people of Hyderabad.
You will certainly see majority of women wearing these cotton apparels
be it in the form of sarees or salwar suits, whenever you scroll
in the city.
Apart from this wide range of cotton,
the store also sells Kurtis, Toys and Games made of wood and jute,
Kadas – that is kangans or bangles dyed in vegetable dyes,
Ethnic Jewellery Sets, cosmetic products like Hair Oil, Shampoos
and Soaps which are herbal in nature and contain minimal chemicals,
stationary like Books, Diaries and Folders made of recycled paper,
small cute nick-nacks for garden and home decoration, pretty Bowl
Sets, Jute Handbags with foam handles for those who don’t
like using leather, Hats made of jute and lastly hanging Bells made
by the tribals of Adilabad.
It is a complete homemaker shop.
The conventional and peaceful ambiance of the shop gives the customer
feeling of purity and divinity of the products available there.
Clad in a light yellow Bengal cotton saree, Mrs. Sarvamangala says,
“ There is lot more to explore in India. I have only covered
south till now. I want to move towards North-East of India, where
I think immense art is hidden. I feel, this field of handlooms is
endless, the more I explore the more I thrive for.”
Annually, the lady invites three
designers who are into handlooms to showcase their art in the form
of exhibitions and sell their designs. Believe me they are people
here, who wait for these expos to update their wardrobe. |
As I mentioned in the beginning of the article that
this shop also promotes eco-friendly crafts; well it has moved
one step forward in saving and conserving mother earth. After
your shopping and billing, you don’t get your bought stuff
in a noisy polythene bag instead in a handmade carry bag. Special
children that are mentally handicapped make these bags from newspaper.
In short, the shop is also into on and off table charity.
The outlet has its customers widespread in other
states also. Not only south Indians, the North Indians also fancy
Tara’s 95 Parklane’s clothes. It also has Page 3 crowd
and film stars both from Bollywood and Tollywood to its regulars
list. To name a few telugu actresses Kalyani, Laya and Vanishree
frequently visit this place. From the Bollywood, Shabana Azmi,
Dia Mirza, and Tabu always manage to pick some stuff whenever
they are in their hometown. Relatives and cousins of both the
actresses are also regular customers of the shop. Wife of the
versatile filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, Suchitra Krishnamurthy Kapur
also is in the shopper’s list here. Besides the stars themselves,
the shop has also designed the wardrobe of Shabana Azmi and Perizaad
Zobarian in the movie ‘Morning Raga’ and Juhi Chawla
in Nagesh Kukunoor’s movie ‘Teen Deewarein’
and also for Kalyani in the movie ‘Anand’.
At home also, she lives the environment friendly
way. The family firmly believes in ayurveda and is one of the
best examples of a well-cultured family. Talking casually, Mrs.
Sarvamangala states, “ I regularly go to this annual fair
of Indian Craftsmen – Shilparamam. As the time passed by,
it has lost its authencity and is completely commercialized. Initially,
it started as promoter of Indian craftsmen and weavers, but today
it has lost the essence. However, I get to interact with new craftsmen
and expand my horizons there.”
When asked ‘ With the increased influence
of West in our country, is there any danger posed to the Indian
attire?’ To this she answers confidently, “ I am sure
handlooms will never be out of vogue, since it can co-exist with
any culture. A perfect illustration of this would be teenagers
teaming khadis with skirts and jeans. It blends in with every
trend”.
Agreeing to that note, I also sign off hoping that
may the Indian tradition and culture rule the world. And remember;
don’t forget to hop-in in this shop when you come over to
Hyderabad.
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