Colourful Dhurries And Embroidered Stools: This Cottage Emporium On MG Road Is King

There are plenty of emporiums in Bangalore, especially, on the MG Road stretch. However, the Central Cottage Emporium, near the Trinity Metro Station, has always been a favourite. For one, you can vouch for the authenticity of their products. Plus, their lineup is way more than just the tiresome sandalwood elephants and obviously fake pashminas that we so often see in other stores. And their prices are pretty easy on the pocket. As you enter, you’ll notice folk art figurines (INR 200 upwards) laid out in front of you. These range from the bronze to brightly-painted breakable ones. To the left, there’s a collection of collectibles and small-sized artefacts (including the aforementioned elephants) that are aimed at the incoming tourists. However, don’t dismiss this section. Among the cliches, we found lovely wooden trays with floral, inlay work (INR 1,200 upwards). There’s also patterned ceramic ware (INR 500 upwards) that will look lovely on your dining table. If you are looking for a gift for someone’s home and are on a budget, this is a great place for you.

Deeper in the store, you’ll find wooden treasures. On our trip, we spotted stools with embroidered leather seats (INR 2,500 upwards). Andhra Pradesh leather, lampshades featuring brightly-painted traditional motifs are our other picks. These began at around INR 700. We also saw a lovely, old-fashioned recliner that was painted blue and had a few figurine embellishments. At a little over 30k, we thought this was a steal. The showroom also has a lovely collection of rugs (INR 3,000). These hand-woven rugs come in patterns such as Aztec, and even Kalamkari, all in warm tones. They come in different sizes so make sure you know the measurements, before picking one up. They also stock fabric (including ikat and cottons) that you can use for upholstery.