As India celebrates Akshaya Tritiya, here is a tour of Mumbai’s iconic Zaveri Bazaar and being charmed by its bling
Jewellery at Zaveri Bazaar
“This market is full of trust”, Ashok Tejnani beams with pride. It is this statement by the partner at Chaturdas Tikamdas & Sons Jewellers, who has spent more than 30 years at his long-established shop at Zaveri Bazaar that explains why even in this afternoon sun, this maze-like market housing big and small jewellery stores were bustling with crowds, so imagine Akshaya Tritiya or Diwali.
Reportedly, over 60 per cent of all the gold trading in the country happens in this market. For ages, Zaveri Bazaar’s iconic ‘Dharam Kanta’ or the weighing scale for the old bullion trade has carried the trustworthy tag all around the country for assessing the purity of precious metals. Trust is surely what defines Zaveri Bazaar.
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With narrow lanes that are dotted with numerous jewellery stores including the small ones as well as the high-end air-conditioned ones, this iconic market is the hub of Mumbai’s jewellery trade. Strolling through Danji Street of the bazaar, you can find a row of shops dealing in diamonds, pearls and gemstones. The Dagina Bazaar, which is nearby, has shops that glitter in gold. With over 3000 ground-floor shops and more than 35,000 manufacturing units at Zaveri Bazaar, it’s easy to get lost in this world of gold and diamonds.
Truth be told, the way to this market located at Bhuleshwar in South Mumbai is not fancy but it has an old-world charm like no other.
With buildings dating back to the 1800s, it proudly stands as the country's oldest jewellery market. Unsurprisingly, the iconic brand Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri started its operations here in 1864.
Being one of the oldest establishments of the jewellery trade, Zaveri Bazaar stands on the foundation of its close-knit jewellers and thousands of workers, who are primarily Bengalis, who have been crafting pieces of intricate jewellery at the manufacturing units in the vicinity for generations.
The placement of these manufacturing units near the market has ensured the labour costs remain comparatively lower leading to better prices of the jewellery. Well, this is not the only way Zaveri Bazaar caters to people of all budgets. Numerous imitation jewellery shops - big and small, have also sprung up in recent decades offering a wide price range for customers to choose from their varied offerings.
So, if you are short of funds, you can still get your hands on the impressive jewellery, but if you are short of time, rethink before visiting this place, because its charm is encaptivating.
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