Cinnamon
Cinnamon Boutique
Just half a kilometre from Commercial Street is the Cinnamon boutique – serene & inviting. Firstly, it is in the 19th C stately building that conjures up the magical charm of what Bangalore homes would have been.
The Cinnamon boutique building houses some eclectic stores ,apart from the Cinnamon store. Raw mango, RASA, Ahilya and Sacred Lotus and a few others .
It was founded in 1999 by Abhishek and Radhika Poddar, There is a central courtyard and a verandah surrounding it on all four sides. Chairs & tables are all laid out in the verandah for casual dining ,coffee breaks and tea bites. The small cafe in the building adds the much needed welcome attraction for tired husbands & children while women are busy admiring the beautiful products in the shops. While there are other small shopping complexes in Bangalore,Cinnamon is one of the best ones with contemporary ethnic crafts and textiles under one roof.
The building was an orphanage run by the Rai Bahadur Arcot Narrainsawmy Mudaliar. Cinnamon Store
As you walk into the Cinnamon store, in this boutique , you are immediately alive to the sense of beauty & aesthetics that surrounds you . One is constantly shifting your focus and admiring the wonderful things displayed in the room.
There are metal cutouts of fish and cocks. Then a birdcage , colourfully painted small birds in wood and metal, small wooden artefacts , all suitable for the outdoors .
There is a whole section with cutlery serving spoons, bowls ,cheese trays and platters. Steel spoons with gold coloured filigree handles are very elegant. The quarter plates with fancy designs look attractive.
Check out the section with pret couture- Jackets, skirts, tops and palazzos. No two pieces look alike . One has block prints the other is in embroidery with a splash of orange & red. Different designers and distinct styles. Unique and non uniform. There are some batik scarves and shiburi stoles in rust and blue. Again, very stylish. And , there are trinkets, jewellery piecesin silver & plated gold. Huge glass vases & jars, figurines and plates ,beautiful. You will find something for every house and every corner of your house. There is a piece of apparel, furniture , furnishings and home decor that appeals to the person in you even if you don’t wish to buy it .
There is something beautiful about this store . Look in any direction and there is beauty and colour. RASA
In the same compound is RASA. RASA is a Jaipur store that specialises in home furnishings . You can find cushions in raw silk and gold thread work . The colours are soft and pastels contrasted with Reds and orange colours. Then there are quilts with softest fillings and silk covers . There are kurtas in block prints and Jackets in silk . All their products are made in Jaipur . Almirah
Almirah for little kids has frocks with smocking in pleasing colours with animal prints and fun prints . The frocks are available in and in 3 to 4 sizes. Raw Mango
This is Sanjay Garg’s label. He creates beautiful bridal lehengas pieces in Banarsi fabrics and bridal wear saris. There is a separate section for ready to wear blouses.
The blouses are made in silk and cotton. They are styled differently than normal blouses. Ahilaya Ahilaya has kurtas for women and frocks for young girls.
The fabrics have wonderful Lucknowi chicken embroidery ,bathk prints and Kalamkari prints on them.
Hence, a stop at Cinnamon sounds mandatory on a visit to Bangalore.
