Patiala Super ! The best of Patiala

Have you ever noticed how so many good things have the word Patiala suffixed, or maybe it’s the other way around. Patiala has all the awesome stuff in the world. Take for instance, the Patiala-salwar, the Patiala-jutti and I’m sure you’ll definitely agree with the Patiala-peg ! On my recent visit to the city I found out that Patiala has a lot more super things to offer.

Let me start with the popular embroidery, known as Phulkari, which literally means flowering.

Phulkari is a type of single stitch work that is used to make interesting patterns on suits & dupattas. Punjab Small Industries & Export Corporation Ltd has set up a number of showrooms (imaginatively called Phulkari) where you can get these & other handicrafts. A Pulkhari duppata can cost you anywhere from three hundred to six thousand rupees, depending on the cloth, the thread used and the type of work involved.

Another interesting accessory that you’ll find in Patiala is in the jewelery department. Pipal-patti is a light-weight, hand-crafted, delicate piece of jewelry. It is so called because the main focus of the design is the small pipal leaf. They have interesting designs, and this art is unique to this area.

Another thing on the ‘Must Do in Patiala’ list would be to binge on some street food at the 22 Number Phatak (Railway crossing no 22). Row after row of street vendors come to this place during the evenings and on offer is some really amazing food cooked right in front of your eyes. More than the food it’s the experience that is not to be missed.

Ok! Enough blabbering and on to my favorite thing in Patiala – The Patiala Jutti. A Jutti is a kind of slip-on footwear, made of soft leather. One can choose from the traditional red with some gold work or the full-on dapka embroidery ones. I picked up about five pairs the last time I was there, ranging from Rs. 250 to Rs. 600. There are about 150 odd shops, but the oldest and most recommended is Data Shoes (as in Bata with a D). No other place offers so much variety at such great prices.

The fact that you can get ready-made Patiala salwars gives you an idea about the huge demand there is for these awesome creations of Patiala. Believe me you can try & try but you’ll never find a tailor in all of … aaaammm… out of Patiala who can stitch something so amazing. All of these are available in the famous Adalat Bazar of Patiala.

And finally, the Patiala Peg. The Patiala Peg is a measure of liquor popular here in India. It is about 90ml, though the rough and ready measure is the amount of liquor needed to fill a glass equal to the height between the index and little fingers when they are held parallel to one-another.  And trust me, you’ll forget your peg measurer once you’re used to measuring your pegs using your fingers !

Cheers!!