ShopCrazy

In college, I would probably spend at least a couple of nights a month at the house of one of my best friends, who happened to be Indian. I was so interested in her culture and was constantly gorging on their home-cooked food that it prompted my friend’s dad to declare, “I think you’re half-Bumbay!” (Perhaps I was Indian in a past life—even in Singapore, one of my absolute favorite spots is Little India! It kind of felt like I was home the first time I went there.)

So it’s no surprise that I was totally charmed by Tilka, a home and fashion accessories store with lovely items imported from India and equally enchanting Egypt, Turkey, and Dubai. (“Tilka” or bindi is Hindi for forehead decoration.) Owned and managed by Karisma and Arrun Bhavnani, the store opened just last August, offering unique items with vibrant colors and ornate designs—definitely for the “maximalists”! A few unusual finds: candleholders and vases in the form of elephants and camels, shisha pipes with their own carrying case, embellished toiletry sets, incense holders, and even pretty candle snuffers (something I’ve long been searching for).

The bestseller, says Karisma, is the Turkish Evil Eye, one of Tilka’s special items. It’s a symbolic amulet used to ward off negative energy, and is even used by some Hollywood A-listers. At Tilka, it is sold in various forms, from keychains, to cellphone charms, to pendants, to door charms. Prices for this item start at P200—definitely a great gift idea!

In fact, prices at the store are pretty reasonable, considering the items are so intricate and unusual, and are all imported. You can get gorgeous colored ashtrays (which can also be used as candleholders) for P350 (another great gift idea) and beautiful picture frames studded with beads for about P1,000. You can also find evening bags from India, accessories designed by Karisma, and a line of Indian-inspired formal wear by Madhuri Hemandas called Ananya.

Tilka is located on the second floor of the Dona Consolacion Building, 122 Jupiter Street, Makati City. Visit the store on the 15th and 16th and avail of discounts—all the stores at the Dona Consolacion Building will be on sale!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 13th, 2006 at 1:59 pm and is filed under Fashion for Women, Kids and Home. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.