FLORIDA FINDS
Sights, sounds and scents of India permeate Bhoom Shanti
BY BELLA KELLY
Special to The Miami Herald
At first, it's the $2,999 hammered Indian silver porch swing in the front window that draws you into Bhoom Shanti.
But once you get in the door and spot the beaded tapestries and bedspreads, the brass fountains inlaid with camel bones, the meditation pillows embellished with faux jewels, you're hooked on the place at Biscayne Boulevard and 50th Street.
As you inspect the hand-crafted statues, embroidered silk curtains and flowing bed canopies, you find yourself being lulled by the sounds of soft Indian music and the scent of incense.
The effect is intended by shop owners Anil and Minal Chugani, who are eager to have you share in and appreciate their Indian culture and imports.
``We have been very well received,'' says Minal as she greets a group of customers by name. Such familiarity is not unusual, she says. A steady core of regulars has sought out the distinctive fabrics, craftsmanship and lore of Bhoom Shanti's offerings. It is a popular stop for interior designers, film production crews and avant-garde homeowners looking for imaginative furniture and accessories.
To nurture interest, the shop stages a monthly event such as an Indian tea featuring food, Indian music, meditation sessions and a Tibetan monk as guest speaker.
One-of-a-kind items include that silver swing, intended for use on an indoor porch and suspended from silver chains. Other hammered silver items include matching coffee tables for $450. Fountains are made of white brass and cost $1,800.
Wood carvings of religious and cultural figures sell for as much as $3,900 but smaller symbols, not as intricate, cost less than $100. A Ganesh figure, traditionally known as ``The Remover of Obstacles,'' is available for thousands of dollars but can also be had as a hand-held good luck piece for $5.
Lanterns from Morocco cost from $20 to $500, depending on size and design. Wood sitting stools are $49; meditation cushions range from $35 to $59; tapestries from $99 to $1,000; Indian cotton bed sheets, $24.99; heavily beaded and jeweled bedspreads, $500; sequined tablecloths of Indian silk, $69; and bed canopies, $199.
Minal says the Indian word ``Bhoom'' means peace and ``Shanti'' means Earth, so the name translates to Peace on Earth.
She and Anil hope to broaden recognition of the name when they open another Bhoom Shanti on Monday at 5830 Sunset Dr. in South Miami.
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