How to shop in India and what to buy

India is a shopper’s paradise

There is an astonishing variety of dazzling handicrafts, textiles, jewelry, furnishings, art, spices and much more on display in winding bazaars, busy markets, state emporiums and street stalls; at ancient historical sites and shining new malls. The country produces both traditional and modern goods, and sometimes a compelling mix of both — such as designer fashions inspired by traditional costumes.

Recently, in my bi-monthly column on TravelWireAsia.com, I wrote a two-part series on How to shop in India and What to Buy. Below are summaries and links to the full read — but first, why I claim to be a shopping master.

The first time I went to India, I went a bit shopping crazy. It was like I had just been given the keys to the castle, and in a way, I had. I had saved for a year to go on my “trip of a lifetime” to India, and was recovering from the grief of losing both my parents, just a few years apart. Seeing all those shiny, hand-beaded, affordable niceties opened the floodgates of desire to live my dreams — which included dressing like a modern day Oriental princess, apparently.

Six years and five trips to India later, I’ve learned that shopping in India is like running for a subway train: it’s a waste of energy to run, there is no hurry, another will be along in a minute. I also learned that buying in haste does indeed make waste. Shoes that enticed me with fantasy were horribly uncomfortable to wear and many of the shawls I bought resembled each other to the point of redundancy. I ended up giving away a lot of things, or bringing them home and selling them in my annual India-themed yard sale.

Part 1: Top 5 tips on how to shop in India 

Anyone who has visited India will know that bazaars, markets, emporiums, street stalls, tourist attractions and malls, from one end of the subcontinent to the other, overflow with a dazzling array of handicrafts, textiles, jewelry, furnishings, art, spices and much more.

But the splendour of the merchandise is equaled and often surpassed by the chaos of the market place. Prices and quality vary wildly; touts are persistent to the point of obnoxious; it’s impossible to keep track of regional specialties and where the best places to buy specific things are; and haggling with wily shopkeepers is unsettling, if you’re not used to it.

On my first trip, I went a bit crazy shopping in India. I was staying with friends, an Indian family in south Delhi, and I would come home at the end of almost every day clutching bags and bags of clothing, housewares, jewelry and more. They watched in wonder as the pile of goods grew and grew in the bedroom I was sharing with a family member. I ended up giving away a lot of the stuff I bought – and learned these lessons the hard way.