India's exuberant bazaars offer a treasure trove of goodies, including fabulously patterned textiles, finely crafted woodwork, chunky silver bangles, delicate gemstone jewellery and a tremendous mix of village creations. The array of arts and handicrafts is vast, with every region – sometimes every village – having its own unique traditions, some of them ancient. Indeed, the shopping opportunities you'll encounter on your journey are sure to be as inspiring and multifarious as the country itself.
In southern India and parts of the Himalaya, small images of deities are created by the age-old lost-wax process. A wax figure is made, a mould is formed around it, and the wax is melted, poured out and replaced with molten metal; the mould is then broken open to reveal the figure inside. Figures of Shiva as dancing Nataraja tend to be the most popular, but you can also find images of Buddha and numerous deities from the Hindu pantheon.
The West Bengalese also employ the lost-wax process to make Dokra tribal bell sculptures, while in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, the Ghadwa Tribe has an interesting twist on the lost-wax process: a fine wax thread covers the metal mould, leaving a lattice-like design on the final product.
In Buddhist areas, you'll come across striking bronze statues of Buddha and the Tantric deities, finished off with exquisitely polished and painted faces.
In Mamallapuram (Tamil Nadu), craftsmen using local granite and soapstone have revived the ancient artistry of the Pallava sculptors; souvenirs range from tiny stone elephants to enormous deity statues weighing half a tonne. Tamil Nadu is also known for bronzeware from Thanjavur and Trichy (Tiruchirappalli).
A number of places produce attractive terracotta items, ranging from bowls and decorative flowerpots to images of deities, and children’s toys.
Outside temples across India you can often buy small clay or plaster effigies of Hindu deities.
Carpet-making is a living craft in India, with workshops throughout producing top-notch wool and silk pieces. The finest carpets are produced in Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and West Bengal. Carpet-making is also a major revenue earner for Tibetan refugees; most refugee settlements have cooperative carpet workshops. You can also find reproductions of tribal Turkmen and Afghan designs in states such as Uttar Pradesh. Antique carpets usually aren’t antique – unless you buy from an internationally reputable dealer; stick to ‘new’ carpets.
In both Kashmir and Rajasthan, you'll find coarsely woven woollen numdas (or namdas), which are much cheaper than knotted carpets. Various regions manufacture flat-weave dhurries (kilim-like cotton rugs), including Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Kashmiris also produce striking gabbas (rugs with appliqué), made from chain-stitched wool or silk.
Children have been employed as carpet weavers in the subcontinent for centuries. Child labour maintains a cycle of poverty, by driving down adult wages, reducing adult work opportunities and depriving children of their education. The carpets produced by Tibetan refugee cooperatives are almost always made by adults; government emporiums and charitable cooperatives are usually the best places to buy.
The price of a carpet is determined by the number and the size of the hand-tied knots, the range of dyes and colours, the intricacy of the design and the material. Silk carpets cost more and look more luxurious, but wool carpets usually last longer. Expect to pay upwards of US$250 for a good-quality 90cm by 1.5m (or 90cm by 1.8m, depending on the region) wool carpet, and around US$2000 for a similar-sized carpet in silk. Tibetan carpets are cheaper, reflecting the relative simplicity of the designs; many refugee cooperatives sell the same size for around US$100.
Some people buy carpets thinking that they can be sold for a profit back home, but unless you really know your carpets, you're better off just buying a carpet because you love it. Many places can ship carpets home for a fee – although it may be safest to send things independently to avoid scams – or you can carry them in the plane’s hold (allow 5kg to 10kg of your baggage allowance for a 90cm by 1.5m carpet, and check that your airline allows outsized baggage). Shipping to Europe for a carpet of this size would cost around ₹4000.
Government emporiums, fair-trade cooperatives, department stores and modern shopping centres almost always charge fixed prices. Anywhere else you may need to bargain as prices can be highly inflated – shopkeepers in many tourist hubs are accustomed to travellers who have lots of money and little time to spend it, so you may end up being charged double or triple the going rate.
The first ‘rule’ to haggling is to never show too much interest in the item you’ve got your heart set upon. Second, resist purchasing the first thing that takes your fancy. Wander around several shops and price items, but don’t make it too obvious: if you return to the first shop, the vendor will know it’s because they are the cheapest (resulting in less haggling leeway).
Decide how much you would be happy paying, and then express a casual interest in buying. If you have absolutely no idea of the going rate, a common approach is to start by slashing the price by half. The vendor will, most likely, look aghast, but you can now work up and down respectively in small increments until you reach a mutually agreeable price. You’ll find that many shopkeepers lower their so-called ‘final price’ if you head out of the store saying you’ll ‘think about it’.
Haggling is a way of life in India and is usually taken in good spirit. It should never turn ugly. Always keep in mind how much a rupee is worth in your own country's currency, and how much you'd pay for the item back home, to put things in perspective. If you're not sure of the 'right' price for an item, think about how much it is worth to you. If a vendor seems to be charging an unreasonably high price, look elsewhere.
Virtually every town in India has at least one bangle shop selling a wide variety, ranging from colourful plastic and glass to brass and silver.
Heavy folk-art silver jewellery can be bought in various parts of the country, particularly in Rajasthan; Jaipur, Udaipur and Pushkar are particularly good places to find silver jewellery pitched at foreign tastes. Jaipur is also renowned for its precious and semiprecious gems (and its gem scams). Chunky Tibetan jewellery made from silver (or white metal) and semiprecious stones is sold all over India. Many pieces feature Buddhist motifs and text in Tibetan script, including the famous mantra Om Mani Padme Hum (Hail to the Jewel in the Lotus). Some of the pieces sold in Tibetan centres, such as McLeod Ganj and Leh, are genuine antiques, but there’s a huge industry in India, Nepal and China making artificially aged souvenirs. For creative types, loose beads of agate, turquoise, carnelian and silver are widely available. Buddhist meditation beaded strings made of gems or wood also make nice souvenirs.
Pearls are produced by most Indian seaside states, but they're a speciality of Hyderabad. You’ll find them at most state emporiums across the country. Prices vary depending on the colour and shape: you pay more for pure white pearls or rare colours like black, and perfectly round pearls are generally more expensive than misshapen or elongated pearls. A single strand of seeded pearls can cost as little as ₹500, but better-quality pearls are upwards of ₹1200.
As cows are sacred in India, leatherwork is made from buffaloes, camels, goats or some other animal skin. Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh is the country’s major leatherwork centre.
Most large cities offer a smart range of modern leather footwear at very reasonable prices, some stitched with zillions of sparkly sequins.
The states of Punjab and Rajasthan (especially Jaipur) are famed for jootis (traditional, often pointy-toed slip-on shoes).
Chappals, those wonderful (often curly-toed) leather sandals, are sold throughout India but are especially good in the Maharashtrian cities of Kolhapur, Pune and Matheran.
In Bikaner (Rajasthan), artisans decorate camel hide with gold to produce beautiful mirror frames, boxes and bottles, while in Indore in Madhya Pradesh, craftspeople stretch leather over wire-and-cloth frameworks to make cute toy animals.
You’ll find copper and brassware throughout India. Candleholders, trays, bowls, tankards, figurines and ashtrays are popular buys. In Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, the brass is often inlaid with exquisite designs in red, green and blue enamel.
Many Tibetan religious objects are created by inlaying silver in copper; prayer wheels, ceremonial horns and traditional document cases are all inexpensive buys. Resist the urge to buy kangling (Tibetan horns) and kapala (ceremonial bowls) made from inlaid human leg bones and skulls – they are illegal.
In all Indian towns you can find kadhai (Indian woks, also known as balti) and other cookware for incredibly low prices. Beaten-brass pots are particularly attractive, while steel storage vessels, copper-bottomed cooking pans and steel thali trays are also popular souvenirs. Ask if you can have your name engraved on them (usually free of charge).
The people of Bastar in Chhattisgarh use an iron-smelting technique similar to the one discovered 35,000 years ago to create abstract sculptures of spindly animal and human figures. These are often also made into functional items such as lamp stands and coat racks.
A sizeable cottage industry has sprung up in Agra reproducing the ancient Mughal art form of pietra dura (inlaying marble with semiprecious stones).
The best range of Indian musical instruments are available in the larger cities, especially Kolkata, Varanasi and Delhi. Prices vary according to the quality and sound of the instrument.
Decent tabla sets (pair of drums) with a wooden tabla (tuned treble drum) and metal dugi or bayan (bass tone drums) cost upwards of ₹5000. Cheaper sets are generally heavier and often sound inferior.
Sitars range anywhere from ₹5000 to ₹25,000 (sometimes even more). The sound of each sitar will vary with the wood used and the shape of the gourd, so try a few. Note that some cheaper sitars can warp in colder or hotter climates. On any sitar, make sure the strings ring clearly and check the gourd carefully for damage. Spare string sets, sitar plectrums and a screw-in ‘amplifier’ gourd are sensible additions.
Other popular instruments include the shehnai (Indian flute), sarod (like an Indian lute), harmonium and esraj (similar to an upright violin). Conventional violins are great value – prices start at around ₹3500, while Kolkata is known for its quality acoustic guitars (from ₹2500).
India is a major centre of contemporary art, and its larger cities are well stocked with independent galleries. Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata are the best places to look for shops and galleries selling contemporary paintings by local artists.
Reproductions of Indian miniature paintings are widely available, but the quality varies: the cheaper ones have less detail and are made with inferior materials. Udaipur and Bikaner in Rajasthan have a particularly good range of shops specialising in modern reproductions on paper and silk, or you can browse Delhi’s numerous state emporiums.
In regions such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, you’ll come across miniature paintings on leaf skeletons that portray domestic life, rural scenes and deities.
In Andhra Pradesh, cheriyal paintings, in bright, primary colours, were originally made as scrolls for travelling storytellers.
The artists’ community of Raghurajpur near Puri (Odisha) preserves the age-old art of patachitra (cloth) painting. Cotton or tassar (silk cloth) is covered with a mixture of gum and chalk; it’s then polished, and images of deities and scenes from Hindu legends are painted on with exceedingly fine brushes. Odisha also produces chitra pothi, where images are etched onto dried palm-leaf sections with a fine stylus.
Bihar’s unique folk art is Mithila (or Madhubani) painting, an ancient art form preserved by the women of Madhubani. These captivating paintings are most easily found in Patna, but are also sold in big city emporiums.
Exquisite thangkas (rectangular Tibetan paintings on cloth) of Tantric Buddhist deities and ceremonial mandalas are sold in Tibetan Buddhist areas, including Sikkim, parts of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh. Some perfectly reproduce the glory of the murals in India’s medieval gompas (Tibetan Buddhist monasteries); others are simpler. Prices vary, but bank on at least ₹4000 for a decent-quality thangka of A3 size, and a lot more (up to around ₹35,000) for large intricate thangkas. The selling of antique thangkas is illegal, and you would be unlikely to find the real thing anyway.
Indian shawls are famously warm and lightweight – they’re often better than the best down jackets. It’s worth buying one to use as a blanket on cold night journeys. Shawls are made from all sorts of wool, and many are embroidered with intricate designs.
The undisputed capital of the Indian shawl is the Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh, with dozens of women’s cooperatives producing fine woollen pieces. These may be made from wool (the cheapest, from ₹700), angora (mohair – hairs from angora rabbit) or pashmina (the downy hair of the pashmina goat).
Ladakh and Kashmir are major centres for pashmina production – you’ll pay at least ₹6000 for the authentic article. Be aware that many so-called pashminas are actually made from a mixture of wool and silk; however, these 'fake' pashminas are often very beautiful even so, and a lot less expensive, costing around ₹1200. Shawls from the Northeast States are famously warm, with bold geometric designs. In Sikkim and West Bengal, you may also find fantastically embroidered Bhutanese shawls. Gujarat’s Kutch region produces some particularly distinctive woollen shawls, patterned with subtle embroidery and mirrorwork. Handmade shawls and tweeds can also be found in Ranikhet and Almora in Uttarakhand.
Saris are a very popular souvenir, especially given that they can be easily adapted to other purposes (from cushion covers to skirts). Real silk saris are the most expensive, and the silk usually needs to be washed before it becomes soft. The ‘silk capital’ of India is Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu (Kanchipuram silk is also widely available in Chennai), but you can also find fine silk saris (and cheaper scarves) in centres including Varanasi, Mysuru and Kolkata. Assam is renowned for its muga, endi and pat silks (produced by different species of silkworms), which are widely available in Guwahati. You’ll pay upwards of ₹3000 for a quality embroidered silk sari.
Patan in Gujarat is the centre for the ancient and laborious craft of patola-making. Every thread in these fine silk saris is individually hand-dyed before weaving, and patterned borders are woven with real gold. Slightly less involved versions are produced in Rajkot. Gold thread is also used in the famous kota doria saris of Kota in Rajasthan.
Aurangabad, in Maharashtra, is the traditional centre for the production of himroo shawls, sheets and saris, made from a blend of cotton, silk and silver thread. Silk and gold-thread saris produced at Paithan (near Aurangabad) are some of India’s finest – prices range from around ₹7000 to a mind-blowing ₹300,000. Other regions famous for sari production include Madhya Pradesh for its cotton Maheshwari saris (from Maheshwar) and silk Chanderi saris (from Chanderi), and West Bengal, for its baluchari saris from Bishnupur, which employ a traditional form of weaving with untwisted silk thread.
Textile production is India’s major industry and around 40% takes place at the village level, where it’s known as khadi (homespun cloth) – hence the government-backed khadi emporiums around the country. These inexpensive superstores sell all sorts of items made from khadi, including the popular Nehru jackets and kurta pyjamas (long shirt and loose-fitting trousers), with sales benefiting rural communities. Khadi has recently become increasingly chic, with India's designers referencing the fabrics in their collections.
You’ll find a truly amazing variety of weaving and embroidery techniques around India. In tourist centres such as Goa, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, textiles are stitched into popular items such as shoulder bags, wall hangings, cushion covers, bedspreads, clothes and much more. In Adivasi (tribal) areas of Gujarat and Rajasthan, small pieces of mirrored glass are embroidered onto fabric, creating eye-catching bags, cushion covers and wall hangings. The region of Kutch is particularly renowned for its embroidery.
Appliqué is an ancient art in India, with most states producing their own version, often featuring abstract or anthropomorphic patterns. The traditional lampshades and pandals (tents) used in weddings and festivals are usually produced using the same technique.
Gujarat has a diversity of textile traditions: Jamnagar is famous for its vibrant bandhani (tie-dye work) used for saris and scarves, among other things, and Vadodara is renowned for block-printed fabrics, used for bedspreads and clothing. Ahmedabad is a good place to buy Gujarati textiles.
Block-printed and woven textiles are sold by fabric shops all over India: each region has its own speciality. The India-wide retail chain-stores Fabindia (www.fabindia.com) and Anokhi (www.anokhi.com) are striving to preserve traditional patterns and fabrics, transforming them into home-decor items and Indian- and Western-style fashions. The latter has the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing, which demostrates the crafts.
Odisha has a reputation for bright appliqué and ikat (a Southeast Asian technique where thread is tie-dyed before weaving). The town of Pipli, between Bhubaneswar and Puri, produces striking appliqué work. The techniques used to create kalamkari cloth paintings in Andhra Pradesh (a centre for this ancient art is Sri Kalahasti) and Gujarat are also used to make lovely wall hangings and lampshades.
More than 80 years ago Mahatma Gandhi urged Indians to support the freedom movement by ditching their foreign-made clothing and turning to khadi – homespun cloth. Khadi became a symbol of Indian independence, and the fabric is still closely associated with politics. The government-run, nonprofit group Khadi and Village Industries Commission (www.kvic.org.in) serves to promote khadi, which is usually cotton, but can also be silk or wool.
Khadi outlets are simple, no-nonsense places where you can pick up genuine Indian clothing such as kurta pyjamas, headscarves, saris and, at some branches, assorted handicrafts – you’ll find them all over India. Prices are reasonable and are often discounted in the period around Gandhi’s birthday (2 October). A number of outlets also have a tailoring service.
Woodcarving is an ancient art form throughout India. In Kashmir, walnut wood is used to make finely carved wooden screens, tables, jewellery boxes and trays, inspired by the decorative trim of houseboats. Willow cricket bats are another Kashmiri speciality.
Wood inlay is one of Bihar’s oldest crafts – you’ll find lovely wooden wall hangings, tabletops, trays and boxes inlaid with metals and bone.
Sandalwood carvings of Hindu deities are one of Karnataka’s specialities, but you’ll pay a fair bit for the real thing – a 10cm-high Ganesh costs around ₹3000 in sandalwood, compared to roughly ₹300 in kadamb wood. However, the sandalwood will release fragrance for years.
In Udaipur in Rajasthan, you can buy brightly painted figures of Hindu deities carved from mango wood. In many parts of Rajasthan you can also find fabric printing blocks carved from teak wood.
Buddhist woodcarvings are a speciality of Sikkim, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh and all Tibetan refugee areas. You’ll find wall plaques of the eight lucky signs, dragons and chaam masks, used for ritual dances. Most of the masks are cheap reproductions, but you can sometimes find genuine chaam masks made from lightweight whitewood or papier mâché from ₹3000 upwards.
Overall, a comparatively small proportion of the money brought to India by tourism reaches people in rural areas. Travellers can make a greater contribution by shopping at community cooperatives set up to protect and promote traditional cottage industries and provide education, training and a sustainable livelihood at the grassroots level. Many of these projects focus on refugees, low-caste women, tribal people and others living on society’s fringes.
The quality of products sold at cooperatives is high and the prices are usually fixed, which means you won’t have to haggle. A share of the sales money is channelled directly into social projects such as schools, healthcare, training and other advocacy programs for socially disadvantaged groups. Shopping at the national network of Khadi and Village Industries Commission emporiums will also contribute to rural communities.
Wherever you travel, keep your eyes peeled for fair-trade cooperatives.
It’s little surprise that Indian spices are snapped up by tourists. Virtually all towns have shops and bazaars selling locally made spices at great prices. Karnataka, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu produce most of the spices that go into garam masala (the ‘hot mix’ used to flavour Indian dishes), while the Northeast States and Sikkim are known for black cardamom and cinnamon bark. Note that some countries, such as Australia, have stringent rules regarding the import of animal and plant products. Check with your country’s embassy for details.
Attar (essential oil, mostly made from flowers) shops can be found around the country. Mysuru is famous for its sandalwood oil, while Mumbai is a major centre for the trade of traditional fragrances, including valuable oud, made from a rare mould that grows on the bark of the agarwood tree. In Tamil Nadu, Ooty and Kodaikanal produce aromatic and medicinal oils from herbs, flowers and eucalyptus.
Indian incense is exported worldwide, with Bengaluru and Mysuru, both in Karnataka, being major producers. Incense from Auroville in Tamil Nadu is also well regarded.
A speciality of Goa is feni (liquor distilled from coconut milk or cashews): a head-spinning spirit that often comes in decorative bottles.
Quality Indian tea is sold in Darjeeling and Kalimpong (both in West Bengal), Assam and Sikkim, as well as parts of South India, such as Munnar in Kerala and the Ooty area in Tamil Nadu’s Western Ghats. There are also top tea retailers in Delhi and other urban hubs.
In Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, colourful jari shoulder bags, embroidered with beads, are a speciality. Also on the portables front, the Northeast States are noted for their beautiful hand-woven baskets and wickerwork – each tribe has its own unique basket shape.
Jodhpur in Rajasthan, among other places, is famed for its antiques (though be aware that exporting antiques is prohibited).
Artisans in Jammu and Kashmir have been producing lacquered papier mâché for centuries, and papier-mâché bowls, boxes, letter holders, coasters, trays and Christmas decorations are now sold across India, and make extremely inexpensive yet beautiful gifts (those with more intricate work command higher prices). In Rajasthan, look for colourful papier-mâché puppets, typically sold as a pair and often depicting a husband and wife, as well as beautiful little temples carved from mango wood, brightly painted with religious stories.
Fine-quality handmade paper – often fashioned into cards, boxes and notebooks – is worth seeking out. Puducherry in Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Jaipur and Mumbai are good places to start.
Hats are also popular: the Assamese make decorated reed-pith sun hats, and Tibetan refugees produce woollen hats, gloves and scarves, sold nationwide. Traditional caps worn by men and women of Himalayan tribes are available in many Himachal Pradesh towns.
India has a phenomenal range of books at very competitive prices, including leather-bound titles. Big city bookshops proffer the widest selections.