Those who love shopping, India is for you. The shopping enthusiasts see this country as a land of paradise which has a variety of exotic and extravagant things to splurge money on. Be it handicrafts, or textiles or jewelry or art and furnishings, India has so much to offer due to the rich heritage, culture, and legacy. The ancient bazaars to boutiques in the modern era, there are shopping places everywhere. One can go to either state established emporiums or malls or even street bazaars; you can find several varieties in clothing, art, jewelry, furnishings, handicrafts, and textiles. It has both traditional and modern items one can buy on. Hence in this article let us see a variety of shopping in India and what all the country has to offer.
How to get amazing Souvenirs in India
Shopping can go a bit crazy. There are a lot of souvenirs one can find in every street given the variety of the place and what it has to offer. You can find beaded options, shiny ones and affordable ones flooding before you. As the tourists generally say so, there is no point to rush for shopping in India; there is no hurry one got to keep patience together and go ahead in busy roads to search for fantastic stuff. You can find what you like and more than what you like given the patience you keep and the time you give.
You can visit malls, bazaars, markets, emporiums, street stalls, touristy places and posts, anything to find souvenirs in the form of crazy handicrafts, jewelry, art and furnishings, spices and more. Prices will vary as per the place, and you can pick as per our choice. Regional specialties must not be missed given the specific history and nature of the region. Hence it is advised to buy specific things in the area if you are confused. It is always a safe option. Let us help you by giving some tips.
- Do not buy in impulse. Buy with patience, think what you want at first. Keep preferences and take it slow and easy. We all know how hard it can be to resist what you love at first glance. But trust us in this, gain sense on quality and what you want rather than if it looks good. Buy things which ensures quality and worth the money.
- Do not think you are hurting someone by not buying it. You are neither doing them a favor nor hurting them. It is business, hence buy what you like and enjoy. Get prepared to walk away in case you do not like quality or if the item is overpriced.
- Know what is unique and what can be left out. You can bargain for prices and buy what you want in more too. Make sure quality matches the price. Learn when to haggle and when to walk away. Get to know when to pay full price and when not to.
- Find out from people. Ask your host or hotel manager beforehand on what you can spend on, what is the specialty of the place and how much prices may be approximate. In this way, you won’t be fooled. Make and do the homework; get out interesting things out of place.
- Most of the things which are regional specific or specialty of India can also even be brought in Delhi. You can go to places like Janpath, Dilli Haat, Connaught place and emporiums to find handicrafts, art, and textiles along with jewelry. You can find several items in these regions.
What to buy while shopping in India?
Let us see what best can be purchased while shopping in India. This can help to know specialties of the country and place and help to choose the variety easily.
Textiles: India is well known and famous for a variety of textiles, both handmade and printed. The unique weaves of each state can be easily accessed as per to whatever region you are in. Some of them include Pashmina shawls of Kashmir, silk sarees across the western part, cotton varieties and weaving like pochampally, gadwall, Manalagiri, Banaras, and so on from the states of Banaras, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh. Further, states like Punjab is famous in Phulkari, Ikat in Orissa, and Chanderi fabrics in Madhya Pradesh. These can be found in most of the textile related emporiums and showrooms and make sure to not leave them out in the list.
Art and handicrafts:How about collecting fine arts and crafts made all the way from villages and rural areas in India. The rich culture and history of art and handicrafts still persist and follow as tradition in several regions (almost all states) in our country. They are unique and are filled with intrinsic weaving and details within. Do not miss out to check on carpets from Uttar Pradesh, shell handicrafts from Orissa and Goa proximities, and Brass handicrafts from Rajasthan. The art works from western India especially that of Gujarat is also well known for the embroidery and mirror works. The intricate thread details are well knit. There is beadwork, thread work, and mirror work all across and you can find them in the form of home décor, textile and clothes, fabrics, bags, chappals, shawls, and so on. India is a hub of several art forms and handicrafts; every state has its own specialty. Hence make sure to not skip them out and the area’s specialty when you visit the specific place.
Jewelry:Do not forget, Indian jewelry can add an altogether different look. They are big, bold, intricate and beautiful. They range from brass and metal to silver and gold; the designs are quite charming and vary from region to region. Further forget not, jute handicrafts which are well known all across the globe can be found easily in the form of bags, jewelry, bangles, and textiles. You can see them around states of Assam and West Bengal in case you visit.
Can I buy online?
Yes, online shopping has taken a boom in India, and you can even shop from several arrays of websites. You can find all said above easily in online shopping sites, like Indian dresses, textiles, handicrafts, arts, jewelry, shoes, cosmetics and what not! Few websites even ship internationally. Websites like FabIndia, Jaypore, Forest essentials ship to other countries, make sure to check out your nation once in the list. If in India, you can even shop from other shopping sites like Amazon, Flipkart, eBay, Jabong, and so on.
Hope this article helped you to gain perspective and idea on what to buy and search for while shopping in India. On the whole, do not forget the mantra! Look out for regional specific favorites when you are roaming in a state individually. If in Delhi, you can go to above-mentioned places and find all the varieties in few spots where you can shop from. Given that India has so much range to offer from, make sure you do not miss out on the specialties at any cost! Have a happy shopping!