Shopping in India can be a delightful and thrilling experience where you will be able to buy just about anything you are looking for, but all for a price, of course! There are an infinite variety of souvenirs to take home, from centuries old craft items, to the latest gizmos on the block. Amazing numbers of fantastic markets and bazaars bustle with local flavor and trade, and even the most uninterested are tempted to buy something! For the shopaholic, it is a paradise indeed.

Rugs and Carpets:

The carpets of India are universally admired not only for their original patterns, fine wool and rich colors, but also for being produced in sizeable quantities of acceptable commercial quality. High quality carpets are produced mostly in three varieties – Persian, Turkoman and Ambusson.

Durries:

The brilliantly colored durries are also an statement of the imagination of the craftsmen of India. Exciting colors, forms, shapes and vibrant images characterize this delightful art form. The craftsmen of West Bengal have made use of this product extensively in an exquisite manner to create several l types of floor covering with several hues, sizes and designs, which represent Indian skills par excellence. Ideal Place To Shop: Delhi, Agra, Amritsar, Jaipur and Gwalior

Precious Stones:

The land that spells royalty is the home of the nameless precious and semi precious stones like mother of pearl, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, lapis lazuli, aquamarines, amethysts and others. The process of transforming a rough stone into a shapely object needs great skill in which Indian craftsmen are adapted to the core. Ideal Place to Shop: Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan.

Gold & Silverware:

The crafts persons of India not only excelled in enameled jewellery but also enameled utensils such as wine-cups, finger bowls, pillboxes etc., in both gold and silver repousse, sometimes studded with jewels. Ideal Place To Shop: Lucknow city in Utter Pradesh, also available in all tourist cities.

Stone Craft and Marble Inlay Work:

Indian craftsmen are skilled in making cut, shaped, polished beautiful objects from odd blocks of stone and marble. The range of items include tableware, plates, bowls, food containers, candle stands. Models carved in marble of the Taj, vases, boxes, lamps, plates, bowls and pitchers are some of the popular items produced here. Ideal Place To Shop: Delhi, Agra, Vrindavan near Mathura is famous for alabaster objects embossed with synthetic gems, Jhansi for sange – rathek stone carved objects, Rajasthan.

Bidri:

Bidri, a form of surface ornamentation, in black colour, which never fades and is relieved with silver and gold inlay. Ideal Place To Shop: Lucknow is well known as a manufacturing center and other north Indian tourist towns like Delhi.

Exotic Tea
India is known the world over for its Tea particularly Darjeeling, Assam and Nilgiri. Now a vast variety of tea is blended with various tastes and aroma's like herbal tea, ginger tea, rose tea, chocolate tea. Ideal places to buy are Calcutta, Delhi, Darjeeling, Assam and South India.