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Charminar, an historical monument in Hyderabad, India, is a favourite shopping place for all who come to visit Hyderabad. Once a place of worship, Charminar now stands in the middle of a bustling market place; grand and aloof as if it is untouched by the activities around it. From a distance, the grey Charminar looks as if it stands on a multi colour sea, with the colourful dresses of the people blending around it. Inside the Charminar, the huge walls and the delicate etchings on the walls transport you to a different era as though you have been travelling in the past. But the next moment the blaring songs from the nearby tea shop tells you that you are well in the present.
The first indication that you have reached Charminar is when you hear a whirlpool of noises – almost like a flock of birds screeching when they spy a cat nearby. As you come near you can make out a few noises – a hawker drawing attention to his wares, women haggling with the shopkeepers to sell those bangles for a little less, prayers from a nearby mosque and the latest Hindi songs on the radio on the tea shops. The crowd at the shops makes you feel as if the whole of Hyderabad has decided to shop with you. Once you are at the Charminar, you have to fight through the hoards of people who push you from one end to another and the traffic to get to the shops.
But once you reach the shops, its like you are in a magical world! You can find anything and everything from bangles, variety of fabric, accessories and more. Interested in furniture or handicrafts? You have that too. You will have a hard time choosing what to buy over here. Replicas of statues from the Salar Jung Museum (which by the way, is another place you should visit) are the hot favourites here.
One word of advice, if you don’t know the local language, it's better that you take along a local friend. One more reason to have someone who knows the place is that the people here love to bargain and if you don’t have an experienced shopper with you, you might just end up paying twice or thrice the normal price.
If you love shopping, this is the place for you to be. And I promise, this will be memorable experience.
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