India is well known for its arts and crafts. For centuries, they have been the famous shopping items of India. A reason for this is that arts and crafts have been perfected in India over the centuries. Traditions and techniques have passed on from generation to generation making the techniques almost perfect. Each and every region, state, city and town in India has its own skills and thus, own specialties.

Shopping in India is a wonderful experience. Almost all the items of India are appreciated throughout the world. Some of them include silks, spices, jewelry, handicrafts, silverware, antiques, carpets, leatherwork and so on. India is a shopper’s paradise. You can easily bargain in India. To know about the reasonable or fair price, check the state-run emporia.

Now we will provide a quick look into the main Indian shopping attractions and the famous shopping centers in India:

Fabrics
India is quite famous for its fabrics. The most popular Indian fabrics include silks, cottons, and wools. They compete amongst the best fabrics in the world. For silk, the most famous places are Varanasi (brocade), Kanchipuram, Murshidabad, Patna and Surat. For cotton, the best place is Rajasthan, especially cotton with the ‘tie and dye’ in bright colors. Also popular is the Chennai cotton, known for its special ‘bleeding’ effect after a few washes. For wollens, especially shawls, Kashmir is the perfect place.

Carpets
One of the world’s largest carpet industries is India. Carpets have been famous in India since the time of the Maharajas. Each region in India has its own specialty. Quite popular are the brightly colored Tibetan rugs, available mainly in Darjeeling.

Clothes
In India, you can get quality as well as reasonable prices. Cloth includes silks, cottons, himroos, brocades, chiffons, chingnons, etc. also, most of the international brands are now available in India.

Jewelry
The traditional Indian jewelry is very heavy and elaborate. However, the new generation is going for more delicacy and sophistication in the designs. Also quite famous is the Indian silverwork. Gems include diamonds, lapis lazuli, Indian star rubies, star sapphires, moonstones, aquamarines and so on. For pearls, Hyderabad is perfect place.

Handicrafts and Leatherwork
There is no one best place for handicraft and leatherwork in India. Each area has its own specialty. The items cover the range from bronzes and brasswork (often inlaid with silver) to canework and pottery. Also the Kashmiri woven rugs and papier mache (some decorated in gold leaf) are very famous. Agra is known for its inlaid marble and alabaster. Rajasthan specialties include its colorful fabrics and silks. Leatherwork includes open Indian sandals and slippers.

Other Goods
Apart from the above-mentioned goods, the following items are also popular:

• Pickles
• Spices
• Indian tea
• Perfumes
• Soap
• Handmade paper, etc