(window) shopping in Hyderabad

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Because of the demonetization of the 1000- and the 500-rupee bills, I had difficulty in exchanging my money as people who were withdrawing from their accounts or were encashing cheques had to be in line for a long time. There was a cap on withdrawals and exchanges; hence, I ended up with a small amount of money. How to buy pasalubong in this case? Basically, I couldn't buy a lot. So my trip to the shopping district fast became a window shopping expedition. 

The driver brought me to the Shilparamam, the arts and crafts centre of Hyderabad. Many of the vendors here are artisans and it was fun to hear the artists talk about their work. Also, the venue had a lot of flowers (considering that it's already winter) and traditional artwork. After I spent most of my rupees, I contented myself with doing a photo walk through the winding corridors. They reminded me of the tiangges that pop up when there are special occasions, like Christmas. The venue is also filled with a lot of Indian artwork. It can be an over-stimulus for the senses (especially with the color palette used) but it shows the richness of the culture in this part of India.

I should go back to Shilparamam one day. In the meantime, I have pictures to help me remember the good afternoon I had there.
















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