What you see - Moving into your brand new home and are looking for extraordinary ways to embellish it? Or scanning the city for an exclusive gift for your loved one? Well, then the Lepakshi Handicraft Showroom is surely the right place to head for.
The huge showroom (thankfully with ample parking space) has a lot to offer and seems to stock something for people of all ages and kinds. These include exclusive art works diligently crafted in metal, stone and wood, traditional paintings, toys, handlooms, jewelry, furniture and objects of daily use. The best part is that these exquisite products can be shipped to any part of the world. Also in the offing is online shopping.
When MetroMela visited it after a hectic drive, we were pleasantly surprised to hear soulful music. Our strained nerves were immediately soothed. The tastefully displayed items, in no time made us realize that our visit to the store was definitely worth our time.
What you get - With products from Delhi, Muradabad, Mysore, Kashmir, Gujarat and various districts of Andhra Pradesh, the handicrafts at Lepakshi reflect a mélange of different cultures and rich traditional forms.
The intricate and complex silver wire craft or Filigree, silver inlay work or Bidriware, embossed sheet metal ware from Pembarthi village in Andhra Pradesh, contemporary home utility objects in brass and copper, utensils made with linear patterns from Budithi village, metal craft from Dokra in West Bengal, bronze-cast and wood-carved figurines, vertical and horizontal panels apart from intricately carved pillars are worth a try, especially if you are doing up your house.
If you are looking for some exclusive gifts for family or corporate dos, do check out the stone and wood carvings, the attractive stone-studded lacquer works, banjara works, metal figurines, the colorful Etikoppaka and Kondapally toys, reasonably-priced Nirmal paintings and silver-coated articles. Based on the size and raw materials used in the making, the prices of these items range from Rs. 20 to a few lakhs.
The hand-woven dhurries and block-printed floor coverings from Warangal are also worth a look. The dhurries are available in various sizes. You could also place a new order if the existing sizes do not suit your needs. The handloom section of Lepakshi does not offer much choice though. There are just about a couple of fabric varieties. These include Mangalgiri and Narayanapet sarees and dress materials, along with tops and kurtis. These are reasonably priced (Rs. 130 onwards) but do not seem very appealing.
Lepakshi also has a huge furniture section in the basement stocking rose-wood and teak-wood furniture. Exquisite miniature temples (mandirs), sofa sets, almirahs, dining tables, rocking chairs, swings, beds etc are all available here. They also make furniture on order. The cost depends on the kind of wood you opt for and the design you choose.
Our verdict - With regard to the customer support at Lepakshi, MetroMela found the sales staff thorough with their facts and figures and very patient. This is in spite of us spending an hour and a half there. In fact, we believe that you may also have to spare an equal duration there if it turns out to be your first visit. Who knows, you may just get to discover the intricate skills of Indian artisans that seem to have got lost in oblivion.
Drive to – Lepakshi,
Hasthakala Bhavan,
Opp. Telephone Exchange,
Musheerabad,
Hyderabad-500020.
Anytime between - 10 AM – 8 PM
Call at – 040-27616461, 27611957
E-mail at - eoslepakshi@vsnl.net
Visit at - www.lepakshihandicrafts.gov.in
Posted on: Jan 19, 2007
