Delhi
Gemstones, carpets, antique furniture, handicrafts, fabrics, spices...the emporiums
of Delhi are filled with a treasure trove of goods from the far corners of the Indian
subcontinent. The intrepid will head for the rambunctious chowks and alleyways of
Old Delhi, while the more cautious will stick to the well-trodden round of Connaught
Place and the orderly state government handicrafts emporiums on Baba Kharak Singh
Marg, with perhaps an excursion in the direction of Hauz Khas Village, Sunder Nagar
Market, and the shopping enclaves of South Extension and Chanakyapuri's Santushti.
Formely the Viceregal Lodge, the building is the highlight of Lutyen's New Delhi
and was completed in 1929 at a cost of 12,53,000 pound sterling. Located in an area
of 130 hectares, the palace has 340 rooms.
| The most central of the government-run handicraft centres is the Central Cottage Industries Emporium, on Janpath, which is well stocked with a wide assortment of handicrafts as well as textiles and jewellery. On Baba Kharak Singh Marg, there is a long line of fantastic state emporiums, from Himachal Pradesh to Tamil Nadu, which stock quality items at fixed prices. Give yourself a few hours to peruse the many shops here. Located in south Delhi, Hauz Khas Village has a centralised collection of furniture and art shops, along with a hip selection of boutiques selling designer clothes in both Indian and Western styles. | ||
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There is no shortage of shops selling carpets in Delhi but the visitor would be
well advised to exercise caution, by sticking to the reputable, fixed-price, non-commission
establishments. It is advisable to shop around before making a purchase as quality
and prices can vary dramatically.
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| Delhi's markets come crammed with goods, people and aromas. The colourful bazaars of Chandni Chowk (see Key Attractions) are piled high with everything from nuts and spices to silks and essential oils, and are worth visiting for the spectacle alone. The wholesale Spice Market, on Khari Baoli, in the Old City, is where, for centuries, the culinary traditions of North Asia, China, Persia and the Middle East have worked their influence on local cuisine. | ||
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Sunder Nagar Market, off Mathura Road, is open Monday to Saturday and is a good
place to search for antiques and jewellery, as well as boasting a tremendous variety
of other knick-knacks and artifacts spilling out of the shops. This market also
has two very good tea shops. One of Delhi's most prestigious markets, and a regular
haunt of the city's ex-pats, is Khan Market, just south of India Gate, open Monday
to Saturday. There are a number of excellent bookshops here as well as homeware
and fashion shops.
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| Except in the government-run shops, haggling is usually the order of the day - it is the only way for shoppers to ensure they do not pay too far over the odds. Most shops tend to open around 1000 and close between 1800 and 1900. Some shops close on Sunday while others remain open daily. There is no VAT in India at present. | ||
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Mumbai (Bombay)
Mumbai is a shopper's paradise. The shops and bazaars offer a truly amazing diversity of goods, as well as being worth a visit in their own right. Mumbai sells everything from expensive European antiques to local spices by way of electrical goods and silks. In particular, it is the centre of the Indian clothing trade and caters for all tastes and budgets. ‘Fashion Street', on M Gandhi Road between Cross Maidan and Azad Maidan, is a row of market stalls where some very good bargains can be found. At the other end of the spectrum, Mumbai is also home to a number of tailors who will make clothes quickly at a reasonable cost. For the more adventurous shopper, there is a large amount of Indian furniture for sale in Mumbai, both at dealers and in the bazaars. Caveat emptor is very much the rule and the age or worth of purchases cannot be guaranteed; visitors should trust to luck and their eye, haggle fiercely and hope to be rewarded with an exceptional bargain. Likewise, Mumbai is a major centre of the diamond trade and for those with strong nerves and long pockets, who know what they are doing, it is possible to pick great bargains. For inexpensive yet attractive wooden and other presents, the Central Cottage Industries Emporium, Shivaji Marg, between Apollo Bunder and Regal, is open Monday to Saturday 1000-1900. For those who like to shop in comfort, the Oberoi and Taj Hotels both boast air-conditioned shopping malls with an interesting range of boutiques. No trip to Mumbai is complete, however, without a visit to the bazaars: Chor Bazaar, Mutton Street, near Sir JJ Road, for bric-a-brac, furniture and junk, Zaveri Bazaar, off Abdul Rahman Street, for jewellery, Dhaboo Street Bazaar, Dhaboo Street, for leather goods and Crawford Market, Dr D Navroji Road/Carnac Road, for fruit and vegetables. Markets are generally open from 0900-1900. In most shops and bazaars, bargaining is the norm, particularly for more expensive items. Generally, shops do not open until 1000 or 1030 but tend to remain open until about 1900. |
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Bangalore
City Market is huge but it mostly sells fresh products like fruit, vegetables and flowers. For Karnataka specialities there is an abundance of handicraft shops in and around MG Road and the Commercial Street area. Karnataka specialities are silk, carvings of sandalwood and rosewood and Lambani tribal jewellery, and to a lesser extent soapstone sculpture and brass. Mysore Saree Udyog at 294 Kamaraj Road (just off Commercial Street) is famous for silks in the Commercial Street area, and its equivalent in the MG Road area is Deepam Silk Emporium. More general handicraft stores are Central Cottage Industries Emporium, 144 MG Road and Fabindia in Commercial Street. Most shops and particularly the handicraft shops open late and close late with no absolute set times but 1000-1100 to 2000-2100 are common |
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Chennai (Madras)
George Town is the wholesale area of Chennai, where you can find everything from paper and textiles to cosmetics and decorations. The streets are an atmospheric place to wander around. If searching for souvenirs, the Victoria Technical Institute, 765 Anna Salai, a government outlet promoting high-quality Indian handicrafts (with artists receiving a share of the profits), has a wide range of fixed price arts and crafts. SIPA'S Craftlink, 70 Kodambakkan High Road, Nungambakkam, is an artisan's collective and fair trade craft shop. The small stalls and shops lining Sir Thyagaraya Nagar Road, known as Pondy Bazaar, have an array of great fabrics, cheap clothes and jewellery, plus the divine smell of jasmine from the colourful flower stalls. For quality fabric including raw and hand-spun silks, Nalli Silks , 9 Nageswaran Road, is recommended. Higginbothams, 814 Anna Salai, is an institution, a huge bookshop with a vast selection of English-language titles. Spencer Plaza, Anna Salai, is a massive mall with everything from clothes, cosmetics and shoes to household items, CDs, and souvenirs. On the second floor, Fabindia offers top quality handmade textiles (from garments to cushion covers) with lovely contemporary designs. There are government emporia from many states along Anna Salai. Shops and bazaars opening times vary, but most open daily from around 0900-1030 until 2000-2100 (some places close on Sunday). |
