197 Best Places to Shop in India

You guessed it—this store sells a variety of ethnic and Western-style cotton casuals. It's closed on Tuesday.

Crafts from all over India are available here.

Bright, tastefully decorated cotton salwar-kameez are sold here, and they have a convenient while-you-wait alteration service.

This outdoor market usually has the capital's largest selection of cheap, distinctive cotton kurtas and raw salwar-kameez fabric. Designs vary widely, from Rajasthani mirror work to gossamer Maheshwari cotton to ikat weaves from Orissa—and stalls change for various themed exhibitions.

Supremely elegant pieces, especially earrings, will tempt buyers here. The store is open daily until 9 pm.

This is a good place for cheap, attractive cotton tablecloths, placemats, bedcovers, curtains, and rugs, as well as clothing for men, women, and children.

Open since 1984, this store caters to the diplomatic community with books on international affairs, history, science, and language study.

A conveniently located, reasonable, and efficient eyeglass outlet.

Try this small shop for silks by the meter. You can also buy a gorgeous Kerala sari or veshti (the men's wraparound skirt) and have a nearby tailor make it into a top or dress for you in a day or less, especially in you have a good sample for him to follow.

Delhi's largest music store is where uniformed youngsters help you find your heart's desire in any category, Indian or international.

Regal silks from Mysore, in the southern state of Karnataka, are available here.

The family that runs Novel Exports comes from Kashmir, and they have stunning Kashmiri carpets, shawls, jewelry, and lacquered papier-mâché items.

If you want to take home some Indian recordings, especially classical music, head for local favorite Rhythm House; along with pop, jazz, and everything else, the beloved store has an excellent selection of pacca gana (classical vocal music), Indo-Western fusion music, Hindi film music, and Indian instrumental music, as well as English and Hindi DVDs and VCDs.

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.

This showroom, attached to the workshop where patchwork quilts and bedcovers are produced, has an exquisite range of textile and soft furnishings, tablecloths, bedcovers, applique work, and shawls. They also have a shop in town at Budhiya Kothi in Rai ka Bagh, but here, a short distance out of town, you can see how it happens.

Browse Maharashtra crafts and an outstanding collection of statues, sculptures, and idols at Trimourti.

Worth a stop for classic and contemporary textiles and home furnishings.