HELP!! Shopping advice
 

Hello,

I need advice, going to India the first time in February don't know where to shop Going to jaipur, delhi and chandhigar. Shopping for jewellery(gold and custom) and saris and other little niks and nacks. Places you've been to had good experiences and where reasonable would be great!!

Delhi def go to Cottage Industries on Janpath - knick knack heaven! Plan to spend half a day there as it is huge. If you have limited time do all your knick knacks here. Saris go to Nallis saris in South Extension market. Is a huge shop with saris from all over India run by a South indian who is scrupulously honest and service is great. A great all purpose stop is FabIndia in Greater Kailash M block market - is 4 different shops in the same market with clothes, home stuff, linen, the works. Jewelry - do you want Ind looking stuff? Is a shop called Hazoorilal in Greater kailash I N block market who has a great deal of "kundan" - don't know if u know what that is. In Connaught Place itself is a branch of Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri - further up from Cottage on Janpath. Jaipur has a great jewelry shop called Amrapali - bear in mind that ost of their stuff is old so you pay for antique value rather than gold or gemstone content. Jaipur has an Anokhi and Soma where you can see block printed textiles - if you have time both shops have branches in Delhi which are equally good. How much time do you have and where are you staying in Del?

Unlike Hobbes, I find Cottage Industries too expensive, but convenient if you are short on time. It is a government run store, so the quality should be okay. I like shopping at Dilli Haat, full of handicrafts from all over India and the vendors change every month. They have food stalls from different Indian regions also, I have eaten at several with no upset stomach. Can especially recommend the Punjabi stall. If you are there first two weeks of Feb., then def. go to the Surajkund Mela from 1st to 14th, about 9 kms out of Delhi and it's a delight - handicraft vendors from all over India and each year one State is highlighted. You'll have to hire a taxi for the day but a non-aircon Ambassador won't cost you much - probably around Rs.500 for 8 hours. No good for jewellery though. If you are into gold jewellery, you must visit a respected shop, one I know is Mehrasons at South Extension I or II, cant remember which. Other than Delhi, Jaipur is fantastic for shopping, if you're into tie and dye fabric, get your saris here, Hobbes mentioned Anokhi and Soma for cotton blockprint fabrics - Anokhi is more expensive - great for clothing and house wares like curtains, cushions, etc. Another one is Cottons, at 2 Achrol Estate, Jacob Road, Jaipur (not far from Soma at 5 Jacob Road). Rajasthan is where most of the silver jewellery comes from and if you know your semi-precious stones you should get them there.

If you're into silver items, both jewellery and knick knacks, go to my wholesaler at the Red Fort Delhi, Kashmir Arts Palace, up stairs at 17-18 Red Fort Arcade. If you go to the shops only, you don't need to buy an entry ticket to the Fort itself. Be prepared to be frisked and have a bag check. After shopping there, get a rickshaw to take you around Chandni Chowk to look at all the little shops. If you're into beaded clothing, go to John Exporter, Shop No. 200-A, Sarojini Nagar Market in Delhi, very reasonable prices and loads to choose from. Hobbes also mentioned FabIndia, another great cotton shop and has both Western and Indian clothing both blockprint and plain colours; as mentioned they have several stores in the one square, towels are really cheap, but the colours will run for a while. Be warned that pretty well all clothing from India will need to be hand washed as colours do run.

Have fun!

In Jaipur do not miss Gem Palace. I bought a pair of peridot earings from them for $500 and saw the exact pair at Barneys for $2530. Gem palace sells their jewelry to Barneys and other high end jewelers in the U.S.

OK, here are some of my recs for shopping in Delhi and Jaipur:

1. Central Cottage Industries Emporium
Jawahar Vyapar Bhawan
Janpath, New Delhi
Tel. : 23725035
Fax : 91-11-3328354

As mentioned above, this is fixed price. Their selection is tremendous and I find the prices unbelievably good; however for really high-quality items like silks and pashminas, I would go elsewhere. The Cottages is great for printed cottons like tablecloths, napkins (something like US 50 cents a piece), bedspreads, etc and they have lots of handicrafts large and small. They are definitely worth a trip. They also take credit cards which is nice if you are buying a lot. The shop is located quite near the Imperial Hotel (a good place for lunch or tea on the lawn), and the street on which it is located has lots of smaller shops selling all kinds of nick knacks. Bargain hard in street stalls, pay cash.

2. AHUJASONS SHAWLWALE PVT.LTD.
6/444, W.E.A., AJMAL KHAN ROAD,
KAROL BAGH, NEW DELHI
Phone :91-11-25720304
Fax :91-11-25757149

The mother load for pashmina and other fine quality wool shawls. Very well known and respected in India and elsewhere. Located in a virtually non-touristed part of New Delhi called Karol Bagh full of shops. Be prepared to spend some time looking at their myriad selection and bargaining.

3. Santushti Shopping Complex
New Wellingdon Camp, Delhi
Phone: 11/467-3322

This is an outdoor shopping "mall" owned and operated by wives if Navy officers. The shopping area is a series of small cottages surrounded by lawns. Extremely pleasant as it is enclosed and no beggars or hawkers are allowed. Very good handicrafts shops and some great fabric stores. Shops are a bit more expensive than other shopping areas. There is a very good restaurant here called Basil and Thyme which is a nice for lunch.

4. Hauz Khas Village

This is sort of the "Soho" of New Delhi, lots of small and trendy shops, with some good restaurants. One restaurant I can recommend is Top of the Village Bistro, 12, Hauz Khas Village, Tel : 26853857, or 26522227. An interesting place to wander for an afternoon. It is not far from the Quatab Minar and could be a stop for lunch and shopping after a visit there in the morning.

5. Taj Mahal Hotel Shopping Arcade
1 Mansingh Rd., Delhi
Phone: 11/302-6162

For a wide selection of very high quality silk saris and Punjabi outfits, try the shops here. They are not cheap, but you will be getting the best quality. They also have handicrafts. The hotel has a very good Indian restaurant (the Haveli) which usually has live music in the evenings. Shops are generally open late here, check with the front desk.

6. Indian Crafts Museum
Bhairon Road
Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

The Craft Museum is a good small-scale museum showcasing various Indian handicrafts, They also have a shop selling the handicrafts, proceeds go back to the local communities.


With regard to Fenno's comment on going to jewelry shops in the Red Fort and Chandi Chowk, I would think that would be the most expensive and worst place to shop in terms of quality and price, as it is completely tourists browsing as they enter and leave the Red Fort. I haven't not shopped there, so can't say for certain, but IMO it would be like buying jewelry on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, i.e. a lot of tourists who don't know what they are looking at and are paying more than they should. . . .


For shopping in Jaipur, I second the Gem Palace recommendation.

Gem Palace
Mirza lsmail Road (generally called M I Road)
Jaipur 302001
Tel: 91-141-37-4175
Fax 91-141-37-3586.

The shop itself is fascinating, get someone to show you the upstairs rooms which are hand painted. Their list of clients is impressive. They have new and estate jewelry.

Another place I would recommend for jewelry is

Rajasthali
Ajmeri Gate
M.I. Road
Tel : 2367176

This is the government-owned and run handicrafts store for Rajasthan. Prices are fixed, but are very good, as is quality generally. They have a smaller but very good jewelry selection, as well as fabrics and handicrafts. Rajasthali, also has outlets at Jaleb Chowk and Amber Fort in Jaipur

Surana Jewelers
B-7e Surana Enclave
Ram Singh Road
Tel: 91-141-237-2544

This store has many of the same pieces as Gem Palace, at 25 percent less, and you can bargain a bit harder here.

Before you buy any jewelry, please do your homework by looking at jewelry stores at home and on the internet. There are bargains to be had in India, but only if you know price and quality. Note that most gold is 18 or 24 carat, which many Caucasians find too yellow for their skin.

You can buy bangle bracelets in very inexpensively in glass, brass, wood and other materials, these make nice gifts.

Thank you sooo much for everyone's advice!! I am talking notes.

Can you advise shopping in Jodhpur, Jaisalmer or Udaipur?

This is a well-traveled group!

Cicerone, the shop I mentioned in the Red Fort shopping arcade is wholesale, it's not a pretty shop and it takes time to go through all the tins of stuff they have there, but whenever I am there, I meet buyers from Europe and the US, the Ponte Vecchio it is not! Check it out but be prepared to spend a lot of time there and get your hands dirty. I am a small time vendor and find it a great place to get the basic silver jewellery there, including cut stone jewellery.

I wanted to ask a similar question about shopping--
I would like to have some Salwar Kameez custom made while in Delhi, but I am a plus size. Do you have any recommendations for a tailor shop that would do a nice job and be not too much hassle?

Delhi Haat is wonderful. I should know for I live practically next door to it. Whenever you are in Delhi please give me a ring (24672660) I shall request my wife to accompany you to Delhi Haat.

Whoa...after reading the thread, kinda looking forward to shopping at delhi and jaipur myself. I will be in Delhi on the 22, 23 and 24 Nov...so, can I call you too krish?

Excellent info:

Anybody have similar info on Udaipur?

is there much shopping in udaipur or is it more of a site seeing destination?

check up this site they have a lot of information on various places that can help you: http://www.nationmaster.com/country/in/