What you see - Just as you enter the area Parklane, you will find Tara’s 95 Parklane, your one-stop-shop for any handloom and cotton dress materials on your left. The threshold of the shop is fitted with bamboo columns. Enter it and you will realize that almost all the racks and stands are made of bamboo as well. Bells are hung from the ceiling and they add to the daintiness of this tiny shop. Sarees and shawls of all hues are hung along the wall. Cute village-inspired baby clothes also line the latter half of the store.
What you get - Staring at you from racks all over are the handlooms. As you stride across the room, a woolen shawl for Rs. 1,750 with embroidery in soft purple immediately catches your attention. Down the passage you will see racks of Mangalgiri cotton fabrics in all hues and shades. For plain shades, it is Rs. 145 per meter, while the ones with a zari design woven into it are priced at Rs. 185 per meter.
In the Pochampalli range, they have quite a few eye-turners, be it a simple black one with white and red cross-like designs or a mango green one with self print. Here they also have salwar suit sets for around Rs. 750. In both Mangalgiri cotton and the Pochampalli variety they have sarees with kanta embroidery for Rs. 1,450. They also have sarees with batik work, zari borders and Oriya prints.
There are also the heavily worked Kanjeevarams in pastel shades. For this summer, they say their specialty is Chettinad sarees for Rs. 2,250. These come in mostly bright shades of blue, yellow and red and with a lot of checks. Kalamkari work also dominates a segment here. They have it in offbeat shades of grey, light blue etc. The Kalamkari salwar sets are priced Rs. 650 onwards. Here the salwar is a single color with a Kalamkari print kameez and dupatta. Most of the Kalamkari sarees are priced at around Rs. 1,350.
Not just this, they also have a complete section for kids’ wear, mostly girls. All the dress-patterns are village inspired. Be it long skirts in yellow and red tiny checks for Rs. 450 or tiny-petticoat like dresses for Rs. 80. These are stitched by their in-house tailor. Then there are cloth pouches from Kutch for Rs. 250. They have wooden toys, pretty candles in coconut shells, paintings and herbal soaps too. Simple thread necklaces and cloth belts can also be found on the main billing table.
Our verdict - The prices are on the higher side but the range is exhaustive. The staff here is extremely polite, though with some, language can be a problem. They know the cost and the material like the back of their palm. They offer tailoring services too. So anyone purchasing a saree here doesn’t have to run around to get the blouse stitched. A serious shopper will definitely find something appealing to both the wallet and the eye. Park your vehicle at the common parking lot opposite the store. The shop is closed on Sundays.
Anytime between - 10 AM - 8 PM (Weekdays)
10.30 AM – 8 PM (Saturdays)
Posted on: Mar 20, 2008
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