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Shopping in Kolkata bazaars is an adventure, and a test of your ability to shake off touts. In general, most shops are open six days a week and closed Sunday. Hours tend to be 10:30–8.
Kolkata has never been the place for trendy shopping, so you may want to concentrate on getting hand-loomed cloth, handicrafts, and artistic jute and metal gifts, most of which will cost you next to nothing. Things to look out for include long-necked terra-cotta Bankura horses, dokra metalwork, and Bengal saris, made in crisp cottons and luscious silks. And many galleries sell very affordable art.
Although government emporiums in Dakshinapan sell the best of what the various states of India have to offer, boutiques and other stores in south Calcutta offer a better shopping experience, with a more carefully curated selection.
For those who want to browse through handicrafts and hand-loomed cloth and clothing from around the country, this no-fuss, no-frills mall is a good destination. Discovering gems in this sea of government shops may leave you parched, though. Head for Dolly's Tea Shop, on the ground floor, for refreshing hot and cool blends of the finest teas, handpicked by the owner, Dolly Roy, the world's first female tea auctioneer and India's first female tea taster.
Sabyasachi Mukherji, one of India's most well-known fashion designers, is from Kolkata; a trip to his flagship store is a crash course in Indian textiles and craftsmanship. Known for his saris and wedding clothes, Sabya (as he's popularly known) dresses many of India's top film stars and celebrities.
Some of the country's most skilled goldsmiths and jewelry designers hail from Kolkata. And in Bowbazar, east of Chitpur Road, is where you will find them. The cheek-by-jowl shops that line the busy street sell good-quality traditional gold and silver jewelry, but there are also more trendy and chic designs in platinum, with diamonds and other precious and semiprecious stones. Prices are reasonable, because labor charges are less here than in other Indian cities. Each shop has an astrologer on hand to help you find the most auspicious stone based on your sign and birth date.
For curios in a hurry and at fixed prices, head to Central Cottage Industries. It may seem a tad musty and salespeople may seem disinterested, but you may just find a good bargain.
Forum Mall has shops selling clothes, music, leather, toys, and lots more.
Quaint little Konark Collectables carries handicrafts, curios, antiques, period furniture, and gift items.
The century-old New Market, officially Sir Stuart Hogg Market, houses about 2,500 stores under one roof, selling cotton saris, Bankura clay horses, brassware, leather bags from Shantiniketan, silk from Murshidabad, khadi (handmade cotton) cloth, clothes for kids, wigs, poultry, cheeses, nuts, and other foods. The neighborhood is also home to several air-conditioned malls, department stores, restaurants, and stand-alone shops, while the sidewalks are taken over by street-food vendors and knickknack stalls. It's definitely the busiest shopping district in the region.
This is one of the city's favorite spaces for books and book parties. There's a wide range of titles in English, as well as some in Indian languages and in French. The in-house café, Cha Bar, serves teas and light bites and overlooks the street below.
Kolkata's newfound love affair with malls is reflected in this massive and high-end example of the genre, home to Emporio Armani, Canali, Gucci, Michael Kors—some 130 brands in all. Restaurants include SeraFina and Irish House.
Designed by the award-winning Indian architect Charles Correa, this mall is favored by young couples and families for its abundant open spaces, restaurants, department stores, boutiques, and live shows.
Specializing in art, social sciences, theater, and politics, this publishing imprint has a cozy store, which manages to devote space to art and literary discussions as well as an expansive and eclectic stock of books.
By some measures this is the largest mall in the region—there's parking for 1,800 vehicles. A huge number of major brands are available on its five floors, and there's also a sprawling food court and a multiplex.
