What you see - Climb up to the second floor of the Loft footwear store and you are lured to another store interestingly called Suriti. Now this is a Sanskrit word that means – the good way of life (Su – Good; Riti – Way of Life). So what you see here are exclusive wares depicting a melange of art forms from all corners of India, to help you have, well, a good life. The sophisticated interiors as well as the topnotch arrangement of the stuff in a buyer-friendly way have added a distinct touch to the store.
What you get – Exquisite, ethnic merchandise - a sizable number from Rajasthan and Jaipur as well as from other places like Kashmir, Chattisgarh, Pondicherry, Mumbai and Orissa - is available at this massive air-conditioned showroom. Broadly, you get murals and wall hangings, artifacts, figurines, home furnishings, carpets and garments, dhurries, shawls and stoles apart from jewelry.
To start with, there are awesomely-designed jute bags of all kinds (Rs. 99 – Rs. 360), a huge collection of jewelry boxes in varied materials (check out the ones made of gem stone), beautiful figurines made from marble (they also have a miniature Taj Mahal), white wood, grey stone and brass, Bidri art and Rajasthani Moghul paintings here. Don’t miss out on the amazing Dhokra art pieces from Chattisgarh, brass figurines from Delhi (Rs.1,600 – Rs. 3,000), wrought iron show pieces, gramophone (Rs. 2,800) and wall hangings.
In garments, there are ethnic kurtas for men as well as T-shirts with captions. These are priced from Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,000. Women can choose from a good collection of long skirts (Rs. 450), kurtis and salwar kameez (even of the mix and match variety), which are priced a little above Rs. 1,000. They also have scarves, quilts, diwan sets, mats, cushion covers in a couple of sizes, handmade diaries, splendid flower vases and scented candles.
If you are looking for a good variety of handmade as well other kinds of jewelry made of semi-precious stones, then make sure you visit this place. The range starts from Rs. 49 and goes up to Rs. 3,000.
The store manager also tells us that they hold workshops and painting exhibitions occasionally and the place is kind of a launch-pad for budding artisans since they allow them to exhibit their art at the store.
Our verdict – In terms of variety, quality and ambience, this store gets ten on ten. It stocks a combo of traditional as well as contemporary products, so all the tastes are catered to. The smartly dressed sales persons are well-equipped with the facts and figures as well. So if you are on the lookout for a regular shopping haunt for gifts, this could be a possible option. And parking will not be a hassle since there is plenty available.
Anytime between – 11 AM – 9.30 PM
Posted on: Jul 16, 2007
