Tulsibaug - A Woman's Delight
There hardly would a woman who does not enjoy the relaxing, soothing and joyful activity of hunting for good bargains. Opinions as to shopping being relaxing and joyful may differ; especially with the men folk! Women as a species, generally are good hunters (pun intended). Their extremely sensitive noses can sniff out a good deal being offered within a radius of at least 5 km around them. It is not uncommon to see women of varying ages, gathered in packs of 2 or 3 or more, moving from one shop to another. They may usually be accompanied by one or two distressed males, usually husbands or fathers or boyfriends, accompanying the group. The males are usually silent and the women are chattering in excitement almost nonstop; occasionally letting out shrieks; either of joy or indignation depending upon the deal offered to them by the hapless shopkeeper. Watching the activities of any such group is quite an enjoyable experience, unless you are accompanying a similar group spending money from your pocket. To watch these women at work, one must head towards the numerous markets or bazaars that dot the cities and towns everywhere in the world. The languages may change from place to place, but the essence of this core activity remains the same and that is bargaining or haggling.
Tulsibaug or Tulshibaug is one such bazaar. Situated in the heart of the Pune city, the name Tulsi is derived from the sacred Tulsi or Basil herb which grew in abundance at this place. A temple dedicated to God Ram is situated here. It dates back to the 18th century and was surrounded by a beautiful garden containing flowers and Tulsi. This garden gradually shrank in size to make place for rapidly increasing population until disappearing completely. It now sports the present day market.
This bazaar sells every imaginable and unimaginable product that a woman needs and desires. Ranging from cosmetics, costume jewellery, hair and fashion accessories, clothes, furnishings, kitechen wares and appliances, cooking utensils, decorative items, shoes, purses, etc. can be bought here. These shpos stock the latest in fashion; be it the Balika Vadhu and Devdas jewellery, Devdas sarees and blouses, the flashy tikas or bindis made famous by Saas-Bahu serials, the harem pants that Kareena Kapoor wore in Jab We Met or any other similar stuff you have particularly wanted, can be bought here. These items can be bought for quite a reasonable price without burning a hole in your pockets. The quality is generally as good as the same stuff being sold in expensive malls.
The only rule here is that you should not agree to the very first price quoted by the shopkeeper.
The normal haggling that ensues usually goes like this: The price for a kurta that you liked a lot is 
quoted as Rs 200. Without flinching or moving, you need to immediately slash it down to Rs. 100. The shopkeeper will regretfully shake his head and say no. Do not get discouraged but repeat your offer of Rs. 100. He is then sure to come down to Rs. 180. You still stick to your offer or may be up it to Rs. 110, but no more. The shopkeeper will then look at you as if you have lost your mind. Now this is the crucial moment of the entire transaction. If he has not accepted your offer, you simply turn and walk away from his shop. The shopkeeper will then come after you requesting you to resume haggling.
Finally after a couple more exchanges, he will agree on a price between Rs. 140 - 150, which is the time when you accept the deal. Perseverance and patience pays off really well to carry out such transactions to a successful end.
But for some items, there is no haggling here. Eg., purses and handbags are offered in various shops starting from Rs. 160 and upwards. These are usually very good in quality and worth the money being asked. Similarly, ladies footwear being sold here the price is fixed at Rs. 60. Unbelievable but true! Sandals and slip-ons of various shapes, colours, designs and patterns, these are made of lightweight rubber soles and usually jute fabrics, and plastic fiber. The life of such footwear is not more than two months, but then if you can get 5-6 pairs of different designs for the price of a single pair in a swanky mall, they are worth buying.
Apart from the routine stuff, there are some shops inside the temple complex which sell traditional Maharshtrian wares such as cooking utensils, pooja utensils, brass diyas and various other decorative items made of brass. Some shops sell beautifully forged brass statues of various gods and goddesses. If not for religious purposes, these statues can make delightful and pleasing displays any type of interiors.
After a tiring round of shopping, one is bound to feel hungry and thirsty for which there is the Hotel Akshay right inside the bazaar. An Udupi establishment, a variety of South Indian snacks such idlis, dosas, uttapas and vadas, various punjabi dishes, and the evergreen pav-bhaji is offered here. Another small eatery here is Arogya Bhuvan which offers typical Maharashtrian specialities of Misal-Pav and Sabudana khichadi. The crisp hot potato bhajiyas they sell here are simply delicious.
For history buffs, right across the road is situated Vishrambaugwada. It has a beautiful facade of wood work balcony and the entire brickwork has been recently restored. This wada displays an exhibition called Punawadi(Old name for Pune) to Pune which shows how Pune evolved right from 17th or 18th century to its present day form. Also, on sale here are various handicrafts and Puneri sarees and dress materials.
Every visitor to Pune, must include at least a single visit to the Tulsibaug. My advise to the men would be; go only if you have the courage and the guts to brave unbelievable crowds. If you do decide to accompany your wife or your girlfriend, make sure you fit her with a tracking device. This is because she is bound to get lost in the frenzy that takes over her once you enter inside Tulsibaug!!
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