Hyderabad: Shahran Market turns hub for burqa makers, shoppers

The area now has close to 150 shops selling the veil to people who come from across Telangana and other States

Hyderabad: The Shahran Market at Pathergatti has undergone a sea of change from being a retail and wholesale market, to becoming a manufacturing hub.

A popular destination for buying burqa, the market now has close to 150 shops selling the veil to people who come from across the State round the year. “During Ramzan, shoppers from Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh visit the market to purchase burqa,” said Shaik Naseer of SM Collection.

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There are many styles of burqas that include those worn in the Middle East countries, South East Asian countries and the local Indian style burqas. “Imports of burqas from the Middle East have come down as tailors are locally stitching it here. The patterns are perfectly matched and the cloth used for Dubai style burqas is imported and expensive to ensure quality is maintained,” said Mohammed Nazeer of Noorain Abaya Couture.

The prices of burqas start from Rs 300 and go up to Rs 6,000. “Designer burqas are expensive because of the embroidery work. Women prefer to wear it during functions,” explained Nazeer.

There are around 100 workshops in and around Shahran Market where the burqa is manufactured on a large scale. “The Bengali community plays a key role in the manufacture of the burqa. A few hundred tailors from West Bengal are employed at the workshops and introduce new styles and designs of burqa in the market,” said Mohd Imaduddin of Madina Textile.

The material used for stitching the burqa is imported from countries such as Indonesia, Korea and China apart from Surat and Patiala in the country. “Over a 100 varieties of cloth is imported from foreign countries for stitching the burqas. Tailors from Bengal are perfect in stitching the burqa,” said Mohd Sami, who owns a burqa material shop at Mandi Mir Alam.

The market now supplies thousands of burqas each day to different States in the country through transport services. “The Shahran Market is now considered a hub for burqa manufacturing after West Bengal,” said a workshop owner.