Prototype Issue
Little India – Big Bargains
By Tracy Tynan
(page 1 of 1)Because nobody walks in LA, driving is often reserved for weekdays only. By the time the weekend finally rolls around, Angelenos often find themselves doing anything but getting in the car. Not anymore.
Enter Indian Market in Artesia.
If you are like me, you find the combination of inexpensive clothing and cheap tasty food irresistible. Well, have I got the town for us. In Artesia, a four-block strip of Pioneer Boulevard is known as Little India; it is a magical world of textiles, bangles and curries, where you can adorn yourself, your entire living space and your taste buds in the space of a single afternoon.
First stop, Sari Niketan for a dazzling selection of dangling earrings made of tiny white pearls, gold, purple, white and black. You have to ask the proprietor to bring them out from under the counter—they’re not on view. Next, the Cottage Shop. Run by an elegant and knowledgeable lady, this is the holiday shopping mother lode, carrying everything from furniture to ankle bracelets to T-shirts featuring images of Krishna, God of Love, and Lakshmi, Goddess of Prosperity. If you have a bit more money to spend, the wool and silk paisley shawls and scarves are exquisite and well worth it.
Down the street is Loveleen Sari Palace, a more traditional shop selling primarily fabrics for saris but also ready-made embroidered skirts in lush colors that can perk up the dullest outfit. If you can sew, or if you know someone who can, the possibilities are endless.
If you can’t or don’t, check out Laxmi Sari Palace, where the helpful owner Lata will do it for you for a small fee. Who needs plain old beige drapes when you can have lilac with bands of lavender and gold?
And when you start feeling overwhelmed by the plethora of opulent fabric, clothing and jewelry, stop in at Bombay Spices, which, like many grocery stores in the area, sells a bit of everything from exotic hair products and fragrant spices to electric statues of Shiva complete with light show and music. How can you resist?
Vendors:
Sari Niketan, 18423 Pioneer Blvd., 562-402-7132
Cottage Art, 18619 S. Pioneer Blvd., 562-924-6268
Loveleen Sari Palace, 18507 S. Pioneer Blvd., 562-402-2481
Laxmi Sari Palace, 18605 Pioneer Blvd., 562-809-1648
Bombay Spices, 18626 Pioneer Blvd., 562-860-9949
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