Shilparamam
A rural set-up to give you a feel of ethnic Indian village feeling amidst the busy village life! This is exactly what Shilparamam is. A place, which gives you a feel of authentic village nativity in the busy capital city of Hyderabad. A must-see place when in Hyderabad, Shilparamam is an arts and crafts exhibition hub, in the form of a village set up located in Madhapur, Hyderabad, Telangana. The main idea behind the establishment of the village was to create an environment for of a village for the locals and provide the traditional artisans a stage to exhibit their art. The place also hosts ethnic festivals round the year. Shilparamam, the famous crafts village in Hyderabad was set up in the year 1992. The place is right in the heart of the state capital, just a few kilometers from the hustle-bustle of the city. The site is spread over an area of 65 acres of land in the hub of the corporate world. Shilparamam gives a very picturesque view and a traditional ambience. It is rich in tradition and cultural heritage. This is a platform established by the government to promote and preserve Indian arts and crafts and to motivate the artisans. Shilparamam is tribute to all the traditional and cultural craftsmen of Telangana. It brings out the imaginative senses of the visitors with its rustic richness and creativity. Shilparamam is replete with greenery and provides a serene environment. It is sculpted with woodwork, cloths, jewellery, and local crafts of each region of the country. The rural nest set up amidst the trees, is the epitome of a typical Indian village. The place has over 15 life-sized huts, which are constructed carefully out of baked clay and thatch, to bring out the true flavor of rural and tribal lifestyles. The lush environment of Shilparamam completely sculpted with woodwork, cloths, jewellery, and local crafts of each region of the India showcases a plethora of artistic ethos. Shilparamam is set in the midst of cascading waterfalls gardens, and natural rock heights.
The Rural Museum
The rural museum, which is surrounded by trees, is a form of miniature depiction of typical Indian village. There are more than 15 life-sized huts that are authentically constructed out of clay and thatch, depicting the rural and tribal lifestyles of the various artisans. It also offers a window to rural life for the city dwellers who may have never seen a village before. The museum is also home sculptures and life size models that depicts the day-to-day activities of the rural artisans.
Boating
Shilparamam also comprises of beautiful lake where one can enjoy a delightful experience of boating in it. There are both rowing and paddle boats available here.
The Rock Museum
Shantiniketan's Subroto Basu has worked to create f a rock garden here by blending some of the own rock collections along with natural and picturesque rock formations in this village. The natural formations look unswayed in a scenic form at the Rock Museum. This Rock Museum represents a special ecological side to Shilparamam.
The Recreational Area
Close to the entrance of Shilparamam, one can spot a lush green lawn which comes with beautiful landscaping, that is inturn surrounded by ethnic motifs and terracotta sculptures.
Shopping
Shilparamam has scores of stalls offering a wide range of handicrafts that are available for shopping, right from toys to carpets. Here visitors can purchase sarees and textiles fro different states. Textiles ranging from Sambhalpur, Paithni, Tangail, Kashmiri to Kanjeevaram, Dharmavaram, Madurai, Peddapuram, Tanjavur, Bandar, Guntur and other sarees. There are also salwaar kamiz, kurta, ghagras, carpets, etc. A special Artisan Bazar here provides the original art forms that comes directly from the makers.
Shopping and bargaining!
Of course this should be on top of the list as you plan to buy various Indian handicrafts such as bandhini work from Rajasthan, paper Mache from Kashmir, Bidri metal work from Bidar Karnataka, bamboo work from Manipur, Brassware from UP and of coursepearls from Hyderabad. You should try to drive a hard bargain!. Eating yummy Street food: You can get really mouth watering street food in Shilparamam such as Kulfi, Pao Bhaji, Biryani, Chole, Chaat, etc. Get a Portrait Sketched: Close to the entrance you find some of street artists sketching portraits, for which they may charge you only Rs 200 to 500 for making your sketch. Watch A Performance: During most of the evenings there is a song or dance performance organized at the open air amphitheater located in the center of the bazaar. Artists trained in various Indian traditional art forms such as Kuchipudi, Carnatic music, street plays etc perform here and the price is part of your ticket so you can go ahead and enjoy the show. Get Henna and Tattoo: Of course here this involves temporary Henna Tattoos that just fade away in few days. So You would be having a lot of choices from designs to pick up from right from pirates, tigers to Indian traditional Indian designs. Hence take your pick and get more from your Indian experience. Riding a bullock cart: You are certainly at the right place without bothering about the traffic on the roads; you can pick up a ride the complex and take up the pure joy of riding a bullock cart in the bazaars of India. Your Name on a Grain of Rice: You could even get your name engraved on a grain of rice. The artist would be even packing this in a special glass bottle where you could view it without magnifying glass. Visit the night bazaar: Also termed the Shilpasandhya vedika, this is now functional in where you could stay back for a second round of shopping. Since many companies around the Shilparamam area operate round-the-clock it is seen as good place for the employees to hang around there during the night without spending a bomb. The place is open till 1 am in the morning, so it becomes convenient to spend some time here.