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The gold rush
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If you have been pushing your way through the busy lanes of Abids and Basheerbagh to shop for gold ornaments, try out the Panjagutta stretch this time with its bunch of shops offering a wide range.
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PANJAGUTTA IS witnessing a gold rush these days. Goldsmiths, not only from the city but different parts of the country are rushing in here, with their jewels and wares.
Embellishing every bend in the street now is a jewellery shop with as many as nine stores having come up in less than the quarter-of-a-kilometre stretch.
One does not now necessarily, have to go to Basheerbagh, Abids or the Old City to shop for gems or jewels. Panjagutta has an equally expansive gold market provides a great variety in brands and designs.
Kirtilal's near Amrutha Mall leads the series of shops and is one of the most popular ones. Mangatrai — specialists in pearls, and one of the newest stores trails closely behind for a second, in measures of popularity. The Tanishq showroom has always been a perennial favourite.
Amongst the other jewellery outlets in the area are Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri's, Meera jewellers, Inter Gold, and Classic.
Explaining the sudden phenomenon of jewellers flocking to this part of the city, Kirtilal's manager R. Raghunath says, "We were one of the earlier entrants here, having started in 2001. Others have also realised the potential of the place." Jewellers from as far as Mumbai — Inter Gold, TBZ and Classic — have come here after us, continues the manager. A few more are likely to follow.
Business is certainly booming in the area — going by the number of cars lined up in front of these shops, at any given time of the day. Agreeing that it is mostly the Jubilee or Banjara Hills crowd that throng the jewellery outlets in Panjagutta, Ratanlal, a jeweller, says, "People do come from as far as Bolarum to shop here."
In fact, more than half of the Secunderabad populace who are aware of this stretch prefer coming here than going elsewhere, he continues. And why go anywhere at all when everything from pendants to earrings, bangles, pearl sets, amulets, necklace et al, is available here.
There are indeed very few places where a person comes across such a great divergence in terms of prices as in this jewellery stretch, where one can find items ranging from Rs. 500 to about Rs. 50 lakh and more.
S.C.
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