Taruni

There are two versions of this very popular womenswear store - one is the gulliwala in General Bazaar for blouse-pieces and other unglamorous but essential things, and the other is the streetwise posh one. It is this second one that we now speak of, with its colorful window display and overburdened mannequins.

Taruni Extension is for the occasional grander occasion as well as a particularly relaxed day at work. Bright colors jump out at you from every shelf, and the hippie art of tye-and-dye is very much in evidence all over the place, especially with the salwars and short kurtas. Saris are embroidered lavishly on the pallus, and are usually in dressy fabrics like chiffons and georgettes.

Many people prefer to buy dress material for salwars, and the collection here is decent, especially if you like the co-ordinated look. Not much for the mix-n-match shopper here. Saris are sequined or similarly loaded with little mirrors and other glittery objects.

Saris can go anywhere into the thousands, but if you prefer the daily wear kind of ware, you'll luck out at around 500 bucks. Kurtas start at around 300 bucks, and since the range here is mostly casual-semiformal, the rates don't get much more daunting than that. The prices go from medium to steep, stopping at reasonable only for the most patient sort of customer. For most other people, it's an intense moral struggle at the counter.