India Shopping

Sights Nightlife Performing Arts

1. Anokhi

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.

2. Anokhi

At this shop find lovely, colorful, and quality clothes with block-print designs from Rajasthan.

3. Bombay Store

A must for souvenir shoppers, the friendly Bombay Store sells clothing and accessories for men, women, and children, silk by the meter, housewares, organic wellness products, and gifts. There are a number of branches in the city, but the Fort one is the most expansive.

4. Central Cottage Industries Emporium

Purchase crafts from all over the country at this fixed-price, government-run shop; it will ship items abroad too. Even if you don't buy anything here, it's a good place for getting an idea of the upper bounds of prices before you go bargaining elsewhere.

5. Dilli Haat

This government-run food and crafts bazaar invites artisans from all over the country to sell their wares directly. More than 60 do so at any given time; the vendors rotate every two weeks according to changing themes such as handicrafts, textiles, or Rajasthani goods. Constants include Kashmiri shawls, Lucknavi chikan (white embroidery on pastel cotton), woodwork, pottery, cotton dhurries, and simple children's toys. Stalls serve regional food from around the country, providing shoppers with a rare opportunity to sample Goan fish curry, Bengali fish in mustard sauce, and Kerala chicken stew outside their states of origin.

6. Fabindia

An India institution, this emporium is stuffed with block-printed kurtas, salwars, churidars, dupattas, Western tops, and skirts in subtle colors for trendy Delhiites, their moms and dads, expats, and tourists. Quality can vary. Avoid Saturday, when the place is a madhouse and it's difficult to get your hands on the stock. There are also branches in Khan Market, the Delhi airport, Green Park, a mall in Vasant Kunj, Greater Kailash and elsewhere.

7. Full Circle

Spirituality, self-help, and coffee-table books are the specialty at this bookshop with an attached café.

8. Happily Unmarried

This lighthearted store carries products like an ashtray shaped like a sandaas and an Indian-style squat toilet. Also fun are wine-bottle stoppers shaped like old-fashioned water pumps and CD stackers in cylindrical tiffin carriers.

9. Mittal Tea Store

Stuffed to the ceiling with Indian teas, herbs, and spices, this teahouse has a charming owner, Vikram Mittal, who will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about tea. Another branch is on Barakhamba Road.

10. Phillips Antiques

Established in 1860, Phillips has the best choice of old prints, engravings, and maps in Mumbai. It also sells many possessions left behind by the British—Staffordshire and East India Company china, old jewelry, crystal, lacquerware, and sterling silver.

11. Sabyasachi

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.

12. State Emporiums

The many state emporiums, strung out over three blocks, can keep you busy for hours: the Kashmir store specializes in carpets, Karnataka in sandalwood, Tripura in bamboo, and so on. The prices are all fixed.

13. Aberdeen Bazaar

A fun place to stop and stroll, this busy market offers everything from household goods to brightly colored fabrics to tasty snacks. Be prepared to bargain for the best prices.

14. Ajmal

You'll find a wonderful selection of rare Indian and French perfumes stored in huge decanters here. It also stocks agar wood, a rare incense base, a kilo of which costs as much as a night at the Taj Mahal hotel. Sandalwood oil is another fragrance sold here.

15. Amprapali Jewels

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

16. Amrapali

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

17. Amrapali Creations

Very prompt and efficient, Amrapali Creations usually makes Indian clothes, such as salwar kameez and sari blouses, but if you give them a sample to copy they can make you a Western-style outfit.

18. Anokhi

19. Anokhi

This outlet of the popular and sophisticated Rajasthani handicrafts and clothing shop carries beautifully tailored women's clothing and linens for the home.

20. Anokhi

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.