LINKING ROAD-MUMBAI
Linking road was originally known as Dadabhai Navroji Road and it served as one of the main arterial roads which linked the far-flung suburbs of Bandra and Juhu during the 40's and that is how it got its name the Linking road. The Linking road extends from Bandra Talkies to Shanti Ashram, Bandra in Mumbai. But now the road slowly and steadily got itself extended very much from its original length and has become one of the main shopping area or hub in the city of Mumbai. The Linking road which starts at S.V road in Bandra houses a number of branded shopping centers like Shoppers Stop and Titan.
As we walk down the road, it has shops like Prrem's for winter wear, Regal for shoes, Woodland, Adidas, Nike and much more. There are many international brands located in this area. As the road moves across the North of the city towards Santacruz and Juhu we can also come across other brands like Benetton, Zara, Forever New among others. Linking road is a shopping hub where one can shop depending upon their pocket size right from shops in the pavement where street vendors sell their items. If one is good at bargaining then it is promising to get a good collection of knick knacks. Apart from this for those who are with heavy pockets they can shop at expensive stores like international branded footwear stores to boutiques for specialized high end products. There are also lot of stores which deal with electronic gadgets and its counterparts on the Linking road. Linking road in Mumbai is the hub for all those who are very keen about the latest trendy fashion. Both the Linking road and the Hill road are flooded with an excessive amount of accessories, footwear, jewellery, apparels and much more. The Linking road taps the fashion throb of the colorful city. The shops at Linking road have something to offer for everyone and also it is the best place to bargain to get the items at a much cheaper rate. Group of shop owners make gestures in such a way that they tempt the passersby to buy things from behind neatly arranged racks of sequined mojaris and comfortable flats, carts stacked with chunky neck pieces, bangles and earnings and piles of chic vests, shorts, trousers, dresses and tee-shirts.
Shops at the Linking Road Market
The Linking road in Mumbai can be clearly described as a place where we can witness the fusion of trendy and traditional blending together or it is the market where east meets west. There will be street shops in the market and at the same time shops which deal with brand names. We will never miss out on the food vendor selling the bhels and pavs on the road side and at the same time Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet on the other side of the road. The shops at the Linking road market are well organized where most of the street stalls are clubbed together in one area based on the type of the products they sell like the traditional Indian clothes towards a place, followed by shoes, bags, belts, accessories, etc.So there is no requirement for the shoppers to keep looking for things for if one decides on shopping footwear they can go to that particular area where there will be more than enough shops for a variety of display of a specific product. Linking road is the enclave for the brand name stores. Before we decide to go ahead with buying of a product it is good to go around the shops and check the rates for the same product which we decide to buy at a store- it may cost us Rs.2000 whereas the same item in a street stall may be sold for Rs.200, but of course there will be slight compromise in the quality of the product. The unmitigated variety of commodities and fashion on offer can be confusing or perplexing.
Bargaining works here:
Therefore, it's highly suggested that we first go around shops and take a look before narrowing down or buying anything. Bargaining is one of the major techniques which have to be followed at every shop in Linking road street bazaars. We should keep it as a rule to end up paying only half the rate or even less than of what is quoted by the seller. The ideal thing is to pretend to be affected by the indifference about our wish for the quoted price of the product and also try walking away from the shop if required and in most cases this will end up in an instant fall in the asking price. The streets of Linking road are always seen with people moving in an energetic and busy manner.Linking road is one of the posh suburb in the west of Bandra area of Mumbai which is noted for its vibrant and cheap clothings, footwears, bags and other fashion related accessories. This is also popularly known as the paradise for accessories where things can be bought at much cheaper rates. This is also a place for the native food of Mumbai like the Pani Puri and Bhel Puri which are again either available on the street market or in restaurants. So the utmost thing which has to be kept in mind while shopping in this area is to bargain which will result in the rates decreasing in proportion to your bargaining ability.
Linking Road offers a wide array of items:
Apart from the local people of Mumbai also the tourists who visit the metro city will never fail to visit the busy market at the Linking road. The shops here give a wide array of display of variety of colorful items like footwear, designer bags, belts, shoes, footwear, skirts, shoes, hairclips, sun glasses, bras, undies, and ornamental challas. It becomes very difficult for the shoppers to decide on what to buy and what not buy from the beautiful vibrant collections. Though it is the same thing which is sold in almost every shop, we cannot just stand away from confining to a single shop. Linking road also owns tailors who do stitiching in a couple of hours.
Linking Road updates us with Fashion Accessories:
Large group of shoppers, especially teenage girls and young ladies looking for a perfect pair of shoes, matching dupatta or even a quirky anklet amongst an array of outlets selling everything from corporate fashion to a cocktail ring can find their ware here. Most of the salwar suits and the kurits which are available in the market now a days are sleevelss which will suit for the youngsters whereas the older generation will look for sleeved kameezes and for such people the tailors in the crossroads and the narrow lanes of Linking road help by attaching the sleeves. It is a more of fun to go for a stroll in the Linking road which updates us with fashion accessories, trendy clothes and varieties of ladies and gents shoe shops. Being situated very close to the National College in Mumbai the market at Linking road is always crowded with youngsters and college goers to match their every costume with colorful accessories and foot wears and also clutches which gives attractive leather finish. The Linking road has much more to offer, for apart from the street stalls there are also shopping malls and branded stores for the high end and branded shopping. Most of the international chain of food joints like Mc Donalds and KFC are seen at the Linking road. The usual opening time of the shopping stores at the Linking road market is around 10:30 in the morning and goes up to the next twelve hours continuously with the same swiftness buzzing with people.
Festive Seasons are extremely crowded:
Especially during the festive seasons the shops in the market place are extremely crowded. It is amazing to see the footwear shops here where one can buy new trendy collections of shoes for just 150 to 200 Rupees. The street shops mainly focus on artificial jewelleries studded with semi precious stones, earrings and other related accessories in varieties. Linking road is one of the most popular places for shopping mainly for girls and women in Bandra. The main reason behind this is most of the seasons discounts are running around in many stores adjacent to this stalls for Jeans wear, Tops, T-shirts, etc.
Designer Bags and the Clutches Found in the Street Shops:
The market is located in such a place for even when we run short of money all we need to do is to take a walk near Linking road petrol station where there are ATMs of HDFC BANK and ICICI BANKS. Amidst the busy and heavy shopping to gear up further and to wet our throats or to feast our tongue there are lot of eating joints just opposite to the National college where we can enjoy food items like sandwiches, juice, special cutting chai, bhel puris and the pani puris. The shops at Linking road are the best place to stalk your wardrobe in style with a wide display of sufficient choices. It is also said that the mile-long road is a medley cluster of New Delhi's Janpath, Sarojini Nagar and Lajpat Nagar markets that are noted for trendy clothes, Indian wear and footwear respectively. In fact added to this the shops at Linking road also in addition give options of branded items too. The designer bags and the clutches found in the street shops are very much tempting and are also available at throw away prices. Fashion is perfectly absolute high here with prices impressively low.