Ivory Mart
Central Delhi
Reproductions of antique kundan jewelry, in which several gems are set in a gold-outlined design, are a specialty here, and there's a huge selection of lovely necklaces in updated traditional styles.
56 Best Shopping in Delhi, India
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Delhi is a shopping center for goods from all over India, making it the best place to stock up on gifts and souvenirs. Bargaining is often appropriate—and almost mandatory. A good rule of thumb: When the price is written down, it's probably fixed; when you have to inquire about the price, it's negotiable.
In shops where foreign customers are uncommon, the staff is likely to follow your every move with great interest. If this bothers you, simply state your objective or emphasize that you're just looking; they'll cooperate if you indicate nicely that you don't need to be followed around.
Old Delhi is an endlessly interesting place to shop, admittedly more for the experience than for what you'll take away. The sidewalks of Chandni Chowk are lined with clocks, baby clothes, tacky toys, blankets, and much more; the shops on Dariba Kalan are filled with silver and gold jewelry. Stalls behind the Jama Masjid sell metalware and utensils, and one street specializes in stationery, especially Indian wedding invitations. Kinari Bazaar glistens with Hindu wedding paraphernalia. Khari Baoli, west of Chandni Chowk toward Lahori Gate, is renowned for its wholesale nuts, spices, and Indian pickles and chutneys.
India has one of the world's foremost Oriental-rug industries, and there are carpet vendors all over Delhi. Unfortunately, carpet sellers are a notoriously dishonest crowd. In addition to being obnoxiously pushy, they are likely to sell you inauthentic merchandise at colossally inflated prices and then deny it later. There are some exceptions to this rule, but they tend to sell out of their homes rather than upscale showrooms—so call before you go.
Clothes shopping is one of Delhi's great pleasures. Khadi, the hand-spun, hand-woven cotton that Gandhi turned into a nationalist symbol during the Independence movement, has made a roaring comeback and is now worn by many Delhi women during the long, hot summer. You can experience khadi in a salwar-kameez—the classic North Indian ensemble of long tunic and loose pants, also popular in a variation called the kurta-churidar—and in Western-style tops and skirts. Some Indian fabrics can fade or bleed easily, so it's always a good idea to wash clothes first before wearing.
If you find yourself shopping for a sari, savor the experience of learning about this amazing handicraft. Silks and attractive cotton saris are sometimes sold at Dilli Haat market, depending on which vendors have set up shop that week. Silks are sold en masse at upscale stores in South Extension, Greater Kailash I, and Connaught Place, but the highest thumbs-up go to Kalpana and Padakkam.
For crafts and curios, Delhi's fixed-price government emporiums near Connaught Place offer good values to travelers with limited time. They're also conveniently open seven days a week. The best market for fine curios and antiques is in the exclusive leafy neighborhood of Sundar Nagar. In addition to the shops listed here, a few shops on the southern (right-hand) side of the market have collections of old optical instruments.
Jewelry is another popular item on visitors' shopping lists. India consumes more gold annually than any other country in the world, mainly because gold is an essential part of a bride's trousseau. With Delhi's upper middle class spending ever more money, and now chasing such Western fancies as diamonds and platinum, jewelry is big business here. The flashiest jewelry stores are clustered in South Extension, Greater Kailash I, and Connaught Place, offset by a handful of older shops in Sundar Nagar. Indian gold is 22-karat, and some Westerners tend to find its bright-yellow tone a bit too flashy. For a gold Indian piece in a subtler antique style, stroll through the market in Sundar Nagar. Hit the glitzier stores for the princess look. Indian jewelers as a group have been accused of adulterating their gold, but alas, you as a consumer will have no way to determine the content of each piece. Old Delhi is packed with jewelry and curio shops, though you have to search harder for fine designs. Stroll Dariba Kalan for the best selection of silver and gold.
As the center of India's English-language publishing industry, and, arguably, India's intellectual capital, Delhi has something of a literary scene. For those with hard currency, Indian books are great bargains, including lower-price local editions of titles published abroad. If you'll be in Delhi for a while, hunt down the elusive but excellent Old Delhi: 10 Easy Walks, by Gaynor Barton and Laurraine Malone (New Delhi: Rupa, 1997)—these painstakingly detailed routes are fascinating and manageable. The top hotels have small bookshops, but Khan Market has several of the capital's best.
South Delhi is best for discriminating music lovers.
Most shops are open six days a week, as each neighborhood's market area closes one day a week, usually Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. Most shops in Old Delhi are closed on Sunday.
Janson's Carpets
South Delhi
Jasim Jan, of Janson's Carpets, delivers exactly what he describes—carpets old and new, silk and wool, Persian and tribal—and at fair (not cheap) prices.
Kalpana
Central Delhi
Like an upscale version of the Dilli Haat market, Kalpana has exquisite traditional saris from all over India plus gorgeous Kashmiri shawls.
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Kanika
Central Delhi
Beautiful, if somewhat pricey, salwar-kameez sets in contemporary cuts of traditional fabrics are sold here.
Khan Market
Central Delhi
Though it's not cheap, this is one of the capital's most pleasant and popular markets, with dozens of fine shops selling books, drugs, ayurvedic cosmetics, clothing, home decorations, imported magazines, and imported foods. The crowd is thick with expats and Delhi intelligentsia, bureaucrats, and politicians. While the shops are closed on Sunday, restaurants and bars are open.
Khanna Fabrics
Central Delhi
This is a good place for handsome salwar-kameez, some hand-embroidered, and raw fabric sets in great colors and patterns at good prices. The in-house tailor can create a salwar-kameez in as little as four hours starting at Rs. 600.
Kilol
South Delhi
Some of the most stunning salwar-kameez fabric sets in India are available here, with color-drenched crêpe dupattas topping off soft, block-printed cottons. They're stacked on shelves upstairs.
L'Affaire
South Delhi
Flamboyant party wear and hand-loomed saris at prices to match; there's another branch at Select Citywalk mall in Saket.
La Boutique
Central Delhi
This shop pleases the eye with painted wooden items from Rajasthan, plus Hindu and Buddhist icons and other curiosities.
Ladakh Art Gallery
Central Delhi
Distinctive silver items and small Hindu icons are offered by this gallery.
Mayur Jewellers
Central Delhi
Beautiful silver and gold jewelry, especially necklaces, is in tasteful traditional styles, including gemstone wedding sets.
Mehrasons
Central Delhi
This store with branches across Delhi has an immense selection of gold and diamond jewelry, along with loose gemstones and a pricey range of polki kundan sets.
Mercury
Central Delhi
It looks ordinary, but Mercury is a good place to pick up LPs, Indian classical music, and ghazals (Urdu-language love songs).
Multan Enamel Mart
Old Delhi
Along with other stores in the area, Multan Enamel Mart sells old and new silver jewelry and curios by weight.
Music World
South Delhi
Delhi's largest music store is where uniformed youngsters help you find your heart's desire in any category, Indian or international.
Nalli
South Delhi
This is a Chennai-based chain specializing in gold-trimmed silks from the Tamil town of Kanchipuram. The South Extension location is larger than the Connaught Place one.
Neemrana Shop
Central Delhi
This upscale shop has some beautiful India-inspired women's clothing, men's kurtas, and household gifts at nearly Western prices.
Novel Exports
South Delhi
The family that runs Novel Exports comes from Kashmir, and they have stunning Kashmiri carpets, shawls, jewelry, and lacquered papier-mâché items.
Ram Chandra Krishan Chandra
Old Delhi
This venerable shop has several rooms full of traditional silks.
Roopchand Jewellers
Central Delhi
Some eye-popping regal pieces in antique styles are among the offerings here.
Santushti Shopping Complex
Central Delhi
Open every day but Sunday from 10 to 6 or 7, this collection of posh and arty boutiques is scattered around a small, quiet garden across from the Ashok Hotel in the Diplomatic Enclave. Prices can approach those in the West, but this is a relaxing place to stroll and browse. Clothing is the main draw, followed by home furnishings, jewelry, leather, and ayurvedic beauty products. The quaint Diggin café serves good Mediterranean food.
Sarojini Nagar Market
South Delhi
Popular with locals for its endless array of cheap clothing, from Indian nightgowns and flashy kurtas to rejected Western export apparel—note how much is charged for brand-name T-shirts and sweats compared with what you pay back home. The fruit and vegetable bazaar is great fun, especially at night. The market is open every day but Monday from about 10:30 to 8.
Shivam Zari Palace
Old Delhi
In Old Delhi, Shivam Zari Palace and its neighbors sell inexpensive Hindu wedding paraphernalia such as turbans, fabric-covered boxes, torans (auspicious door hangings), tiny brass gods, and shiny bric-a-brac.
Singh Copper & Brass Palace
Old Delhi
Several dusty floors here are filled with brass, copper, and wood artifacts.
The Bookshop
Central Delhi
This shop is strong on literary fiction, including hot new titles from abroad.
Tulsi
Central Delhi
The supple garments and home furnishings here are made of handwoven silk, linen, and cotton.
