Shopping
Delhi is a shoppers’ paradise. Here you can buy almost anything from anywhere in India. Delhi has thousands of good shops conveniently grouped together item wise - antiques, handicrafts, fashion wear, leather articles, rugs & carpets, linen & fabrics, silks, jewelry, furniture etc.
One can buy leather items, carved stone pieces, precious stones, silk products, wood work or jewelry. Delhi has some of the best shopping malls in India where one can easily spend the whole day roaming and shopping. These shopping plazas are also places to relax in the evening, as some of the best eating joints are located in the shopping malls. Prominent among them are Select City Walk in Saket and DLF Emporio in Vasant Kunj,
Connaught Place
Connaught Place, often abbreviated to CP, is Delhi's financial, commercial and business centre. Situated as it is in the very heart of Delhi it is a useful starting point to orientate your travels around this varied and bustling city.
The state emporia buildings are also located in this area so are the head offices of major banks, airlines and other such establishments of importance to the tourist.
Built in the 1930s, CP was a grand affair, two large circles (outer and inner) of proud buildings with radial roads spanning out in all directions (when looking at a map look for what appears to be a large wheel and you've got it). Tourists don't miss it, if for nothing else than for its architecture and the bustle of everyday life. Travelling to
and
from Connaught Place (Rajiv Chowk Station) is easy and convenient by Delhi Metro.
Inner Circle: Largely clothes and shoe shops. This is where you find the big brands like Levis, Lee Cooper, Lacoste and Benetton.
Outer Circle: Here you will find banks, travel agencies and airline offices.
Timings: 10 AM to 6.00 PM (Closed on Sundays).
The more important establishments in Connaught Place are listed below:
Outer Circle (Block: G, H, K, L, M, N & P)
Palika Bazaar
Address: Connaught Circle & Radial Rd 1, Connaught Place
Items: Clothing, electronics, fake wristwatches, CDs etc.
An underground market accessed by several bunker-like openings in the middle of the large roundabout next to CP. Prices are much cheaper here, but then the quality can be as well. Careful scrutiny matched with good bartering can get you some very good deals though. Tourists are invariably quoted inflated prices; so don't be shy to bargain.
Janpath (Tibetan) Market
Address: Janpath, Connaught Place
Items: art/craft, clothing, kitsch
Beckoning tourists with its shimmering mirror work textiles, colourful shawls, brass 'OMs', psychedelic T-shirts, dangly earrings and trinkets galore, is this touristy belt running north of the Imperial Hotel. It has some good finds if you rummage through the junk. Haggle hard.
State Emporia
Address: Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Connaught Place
Items: Art/craft
A unique shopping experience is a visit to various State Emporia at Baba Kharak Singh Marg for handicrafts from every Indian State. Here you will find a staggering array of goods, and at very affordable prices. Check out the following:
Zoon, Kashmir Emporium: Shawls
Poompuhar, Tamil Nadu Emporium: Bronze lamps and icon
Cauvery, Karnataka Emporium: Exquisite silks
Amrapali, Bihar Emporium: Madhubani paintings and gems
Rajasthali, Rajasthan Emporium: Printed cottons, miniature paintings and jewellery
Manjusha, West Bengal Emporium: Tea
Mrignayani, Madhya Pradesh Emporium: Wood carving
Central Cottage Industries Emporium
Address: Janpath, Connaught Place
Phone: Tel: (011) 2332 6790 (info)
Items: Art/craft, clothing, department store, furniture, home wares
This government-run store has six floors of handicrafts from all over India. Whether it's woodcarvings, brassware, paintings, clothes, textiles, furniture or that big statue of Ganesh you're after, you'll find it here. The quality of goods is high and prices are fixed, so you can take a break from the haggle hassle.
Dilli Haat
This open area imitates a haat (rural marketplace), where 200 little stalls form a permanent open-air arts-and-crafts market. It's a unique shopping experience, and the most authentic and affordable in Delhi. Dilli Haat offers you the opportunity to buy directly from rural artisans and craftspeople who are allotted space rotationally for 2 weeks, making this a great place to browse the variety of crafts from all over India, whether you are traveling farther afield or not. From Bihar's Madhubani art to silver jewelry and furniture, as well as unusual gifts and souvenirs or colorful linens and other furnishings, the range is exhausting, the prices excellent. If you are in Delhi in early December, be sure to check out the Master Crafts Fair (normally held Dec 1-15), where award-winning artists and craftspeople display and sell their work. Numerous food stalls serve food from all over India, but the hygiene is questionable.
Timings: Daily 10am to 10:30pm
Fabindia
Address: N Block Market, Greater Kailash Part I.
Timing: daily 10am to 7pm.
Also at: Khan Market, Vasant Kunj
Timing:
Monday to Saturday 10am to 7pm.
If you've coveted Indian ethnic-chic at stores like the Conran Shop in London or New York, here's your chance to buy the fabrics and crafts at one-tenth the price. Fabindia sources its products from more than 7,500 crafts people and artisans around India. Their distinctive use of handloom weaving techniques, natural dyes, and both vivid and earthy colors have made their products both fashionable and desirable. Do bear in mind that these fabrics usually require gentle hand-washing and drip-drying. Also, sizing and quality are inconsistent, so it's best to try on any item of clothing before you buy. There are branch stores all over India as well as in Rome and Dubai.
Ansal Plaza
Address Khel Gaon Marg, South Delhi
Items Misc.
A modern shopping mall squarely geared towards well-to-do locals, with shops selling designer clothes, foreign-brand cosmetics, fashionable costume jewelery etc.
Santushti Shopping Complex
Address: Chanakyapuri, South Delhi
Items: Artefacts, Jewelry, Linen
A calm green haven sprinkled with swanky boutiques, Santushti is the antithesis of Delhi's boisterous bazaars.
Cigar aficionados will appreciate Kastro’s, which has fine Cuban cigars, Davidoff mini-cigarillos etc. Meanwhile, Lotus Eaters sells sublime old gold and silver pieces including Ganesh pendants from around Rs1800, while Anokhi (branch also at Khan Market) specializes in quality block-printed textiles, from tablecloths to garments. For delicious jams and bread (gluten-free) stop by at Claire's.
Greater Kailash M-Block & N-Block Markets
Address: M-Block & N-Block, Greater Kailash I, South Delhi
Items: clothing, home wares
An up market shopping enclave best known for its awesome garment and home-furnishings store Fabindia, which has fantastic readymade clothes that won't look odd back home. It also sells organic jams and body care products. Next-door is 'Cottons', which has a smaller clothing selection but is also worth a peek.
South Extension Market Parts I & II
Address: M.G Road, South Extension, South Delhi
Items: Music, designer clothing, jewelry, shoes, handbags and sportswear
This high-class market is comprised of two enclaves, on opposite sides of M.G Road, each selling designer clothing, jewelry, shoes, handbags and sportswear. Bg's is strictly chick territory, with a glittering treasure trove of costume jewelry and flashy hairclips.
Sunder Nagar Market
Address: Mathura Rd, Sunder Nagar, New Delhi
Items: Handicrafts ‘antiques’ & Misc.
Just south of Purana Qila, this genteel enclave specializes in Indian and Nepali handicrafts and 'antiques' (most are replicas). There are two outstanding teashops here: Regalia Tea House and Mittal Tea House.
Hauz Khas Village
Address: Green Park, South Delhi
Items: art/craft, furniture
Hauz Khas Village in South Delhi is an atmospheric shopping enclave, although it's lost the magic of its earlier (less commercial) days. You'll find designer furniture shops, art galleries and boutiques geared towards the upper end of the market.
Khan Market
Address: Near Delhi Golf Club, Central Delhi
Items: Fashion, books, music, home ware & restaurants
Favoured by expats and Delhi's elite, this enclave has shops devoted to fashion (including tailoring), books, sunglasses, home ware and accessories. This is also the place to find gourmet groceries, from Australian grapefruit to Italian pesto. For handmade paper ware (cards, diaries, photo albums etc) check out Anand Stationers. There's a small branch of Fabindia here. Kriti is an interesting shop which deals in Feng Shui artefacts. Avoid Saturdays when it can be quite crowded.
Main Bazaar, Paharganj
Address: Paharganj, Central Delhi
Items: Accessories, clothing, home wares
The backpacker-oriented spine of Paharganj has piles of bargain T-shirts, shawls, leatherwear, costume jewelry, essential oil, incense, bindis and even bongs. Wood-bead necklaces, which make great gifts, start at as little as Rs. 10. Although officially closed on Monday, many shops remain open during the tourist season.
Sarojini Nagar Market
Address: Sarojini Nagar, South Delhi
Items: Clothing
Good-value Western-style clothes (seek out the lanes lined exclusively with clothing stalls), that have been dumped here either because they were an export surplus or from a cancelled line. Check for holes, faulty zips, crooked seams, stains and missing buttons. Bargain hard. Avoid Sunday afternoons when Sarojini swarms with elbowing shoppers.
Delhi City Guide
Currency Converter
service apartments in delhi, bed and breakfast delhi, bed and breakfast new delhi, serviced apartments delhi, guest house delhi, serviced apartments in delhi, delhi bed and breakfast, service apartments in new delhi, bed & breakfast delhi, delhi guest house, guest house in delhi, guest house in south delhi, guest houses in south delhi, bed breakfast delhi, bed breakfast new delhi, bed & breakfast delhi, bed & breakfast new delhi, new delhi bed breakfast, delhi bed and breakfast, delhi bed breakfast, delhi b&b, b&b delhi, delhi inn, b&b new delh, new delhi homestay