41 Best Shopping in Rajasthan, India

This is a leading shop for fashionable clothing, mostly in cotton, some silk, with hand-block prints and paisley patterns---all of which will fit into your wardrobe back home. The selection includes both Indian and casual Western wear, and it has the prettiest lehengas (skirts) in the state. It has a great range of kurtis (short kurtas). You can also get beautiful bedspreads, quilts, and cloth bags here. After shopping, take a break at the attached café for a light bite or cold drink. Note: The store doesn't pay commissions to taxi drivers, which is why your driver might tell you the shop is closed or that they have a better deal for you.

This shop is a favorite among trendy and wealthy Indians for its whimsical silver and ornamental trinkets, as well as semiprecious stone artifacts.

Come here for gorgeous traditional and contemporary silver and gold jewelry.

The local outlet of the popular brand Anokhi sells good-value Western clothes with an Indian flair, including cotton and hand-block prints that are sourced from national textile producers.

To learn more about the hand-block printing and textiles with natural pigments and dyes that you might want to shop for, check out this museum on your way in and out of Amber Fort. There are workshops held daily (check the website for times); there's a small shop on the premises, too.

This is Jaipur's leading gallery of contemporary art. There's a larger branch with an exhibit area of more than 5,000 square feet, in Amber Fort, with a wide-ranging collection of oil paintings, watercolors, and graphics by contemporary artists and sculptors. Open daily.

Udaipur has many galleries that exhibit original work by burgeoning artists, which attracts serious art buyers. This gallery was started by B.G. Sharma, one of the preeminent miniature painters of India. Unlike most artists of miniature paintings, Sharma produced original ideas rather than copying traditional pictures, and made a huge contribution to advancing the Mughal, Kishangarh, and Kangra painting styles. Now his sons run the business but some of Sharma's legacy remains. As well as creating miniatures themselves in-house, they also sell the work of other painters. Check the authenticity of anything you want to buy.

Wood items are designed according to customer requirements, while maintaining the roots of the artisans' creative process. Antiques are also sold.

For precious jewels, including gold ornaments, seek out this showroom, known worldwide for its kundan (a glasslike white stone) and mina (enamel) work. It has some reasonably priced silver jewelry featuring traditional patterns on contemporary styles.

A suburb of Udaipur on the road exiting the city towards Jaipur (15–20 minutes away from the city center), Bhuwana is the place to buy something carved in marble, be it an elephant almost as large as your car or a small knickknack like a soap tray or serving dish. There are rows and rows of shops here, where, with a little bargaining (never take the first price), you will get a good deal. Marble workshops are attached to many of the stores and you may be able to see artisans at work. Check with your hotel or local guide to arrange a car.

If you're willing to bargain, head for this lane within the walls of the Old City to negotiate for silver and semiprecious jeweled ornaments, trinkets, and small toys. Know that some silver pieces may only be plated and you won't be able to verify the authenticity of stones.

Managed and staffed by women, Cottons carries attractive wardrobe staples for men and women, as well as small bags, quilts, and other decorative household items.

This shop sells great cottons for men, women, children, and the home. They specialize in tailored pieces in vegetable dye prints. You can find men's tropical shirts, detailed dresses, or kurtas for both sexes, and they do saris as well as silks. Browse traditional pieces and modern garments that easily fit into your wardrobe back home. Prices for clothing begin at about Rs. 1,000. Open 10:30–10 daily. When you're done shopping, head upstairs to Tapri Tea House for a cuppa and lovely views of the city.

Specializing in both contemporary and folk art, this gallery has many small pieces by Shail Choyal, a guru of contemporary Indian painting. Other highlights include the stylized work of Shahid Parvez, a well-known local artist, as well as work from an expanding number of Udaipur's contemporary artists.

From Jagdish Temple, stroll down to the Ganta Ghar (clock tower) and the area around it, a base for silver jewelry. Browse freely, but take care not to purchase items that are merely coated with silver-tone paint. Most of the silver shops here are run-of-the-mill and offer little variation in style and price.

Shop here for Jaipur's best gems and jewelry, and a small collection of museum-quality curios, and you'll join the ranks of a royal clientele that includes Prince Charles and many members of Rajasthan's royal families. Even the princess of Jaipur, Maharani Gayatri Devi, might have been found here bargaining for a good deal. Prices range from US$25 to US$2 million.

This good local jewelry store specializes in traditional bridal jewelery styled according to Rajasthani royal tradition.

A broad selection of Rajasthan's fetching blue pottery is available here, including a large selection of tiles, bathroom fittings, cups, plates, and decorative items such as cabinet knobs. Clay pots are made on the premises.

This Johari Bazaar jeweler has an extensive and attractive collection of well-priced silver jewelry especially very unusual earrings with semiprecious stones. They are very polite and patient and do not push you toward buying. Bargaining is the norm here.

You can often see the artist at work here. Kamal Sharma paints mainly birds and animals on paper, marble, silk, and canvas, in contemporary, experimental, and traditional styles. All the works are for sale. The gallery often holds workshops and rotating exhibits.

A good place to pick up practical gifts at reasonable prices, this national cooperative sells natural herbal soaps and shampoos, oils, incense, khadi textiles and clothing (the hand-spun and -woven fabric championed by Gandhi), leather goods, and handicrafts. Prices are fixed.

This shop has khadi (hand-spun cotton) shawls, Nehru jackets, scarves, and handmade rugs.

Historically, this lane in the Old Pink City was devoted to marble statue cutters, though the area of late has become more generalized. You'll find a variety of clothing and jewelry vendors (accessible through Chandpol gate) scattered inside the area, too, but it's still a prime spot to watch stonecutters create artwork (big and small) in marble. Bargaining is recommended.

A wide selection of Rajasthani-printed fabrics by the meter, bedcovers, shawls, pillow covers, and other items are the specialty of Krishna Textiles. Leather bags are also available.

This place is a joy if you love antiques. Woodwork, antiques, leatherwork, and brass furniture comprise the collection here, which also includes unique painted boxes and jharokhas (carved doorways or windows) made of dark wood with brass decoration.

Available here is a wide selection of spices, clearly marked and packed in plastic for travelers with a passion for cooking Indian food. The shop is small but clean and tidy, and clearly caters to a crowd concerned with quality and food safety. There's also a stand at the entrance to the Mehrangarh Fort, next to the café.

Come here for a beautiful array of shawls, bedcovers, cushion covers, and wooden handicrafts. Bargain hard (they will pressure you, but stand your ground) and ignore tales about supplying to global designers.

If negotiating frustrates you, try considering the sales experience performance art.

Less a shopping experience (the prices are high and so is the quality) and more a Jaipur experience, head here to see the kind of jewelry the city is known for. The showroom, in a phantasmagoric petal-shape modern mahal, has an enormous collection, including high-end pieces. It's considered one of the city’s best addresses. The kundan jewelry is of particular interest.

For inexpensive textiles, including cotton dress fabric, plastic and glass bangles, and other handicrafts, check out this four-story emporium, where these items are hidden among the rows of discounted toasters and kitschy house decorations. It's fixed price (as opposed to haggling), caters to a local crowd, and is an easier experience than going from shop to shop where everyone is pressuring you to buy something.

The blue pottery here is particularly funky—the designer, owner Leela Bordia, has been at the forefront of the movement to keep the craft alive for more than three decades, and has exhibited all over the world. Her wares are made in nearby villages, helping to create jobs in rural areas.