Zaveri bazaar in Mumbai, India is known as a paradise for those who wish to buy jewellery, both precious ones and artificial ones as well. As the name suggests, zaveri means jewellery and bazaar means market, which together means jewellery market. This market is almost 150-year old market that is situated in Bhuleshwar, somewhere between the Crawford Market and Mumbadevi area of Mumbai. It is a huge market with over 7,000 small and big shops in the narrow lanes; some of these shops are over 300 years old. The smallest of these shops can be as tiny as 150 square feet; however, their turnover crosses crores in most cases. The narrow lanes make it tough to trace the shops and then visiting a particular shop is quite tricky for buyers, even if they have an address and the shops can only be identified by their numbers and sorry, the GPS will simply add on to the confusion.
To reach Zaveri Bazaar, you can either take a bus or even hire a cab. It is rare to find the autos in south Bombay. The market is located close to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which is connected through a lot of trains from various cities in Mumbai. From traditional designs to the latest fashion design. From bangles to pendants to brooches for men, to diamond rings, Zaveri bazaar has it all. At times, the prices may be high, but you can crack a great deal if you use good bargaining skills.
During festive seasons, this market is massively crowded by jewellery enthusiasts and most of the shops do provide some kind of discounts or schemes to attract a lot of customers. As mentioned above, some shops are situated in the narrow lanes, making it difficult to access and a bit congested. For security purpose, there are a lot of CCTVs installed in the entire market area.
One can find all kinds of precious stones, gems and precious metal like gold in this market. Traditional Indian designs like the Kundan and Jadau work on the jewelry are the best items to purchase in zaveri bazaar, something that one cannot find anywhere else.
If you are not that interested in jewellery and want to pick out goods that do not burn a hole in the pocket, then there are a wide variety of artworks, especially on wood and brass that this market is famous for. You can also find dinnerware sets, toys, party items, and furniture and so on at wholesale prices in the nearby areas of this market. An interesting fact is that Zaveri Bazaar gets the maximum appreciation and credit for the jewelry and gems around India and to add on to that, zaveri bazaar is one of the largest exporters of gold to countries in the Middle East.
While you are at it, don’t forget to indulge yourself in the lip smacking delicacies of Mumbai, especially the street food. That side of Bombay is also famous for street food, and both, vegetarians and meat lovers will find something to gorge on.
