India
can be a shopaholic's paradise! A vast country with 28 states and 7 Union
territories, India has products unique to every state and at times, even
small town and cities. Take the example of the handicraft products, which
are so variegated that one is actually left wondering - are they all from
one nation? Actually, the materials used and the designs are largely
influenced by the tradition and the raw materials available. And India being
a deluge of opposites when it comes to its geography and climatic
conditions, each region offers exclusive souvenirs to carry back home. A
brief overview will help deciding what to shop....
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Jammu and Kashmir
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Kashmir is famous for pure woolen items like sweaters, shawls etc.
Carpets of the place are also in great demand.
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Himachal Pradesh
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Woolen items belonging to the hill stations of Himachal are also
very popular. Tibetan handicraft items in places like Dharamshala are also
worth buying.
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Rajasthan |
Tourists
have a wide range of arts and crafts to pick from in Rajasthan. The gems and
stone studded handiworks are exquisite. The textiles and fabrics of the
state with silver or gold threads settings and complimented with the variety
of silk-threads are also among the popular buys of Rajasthan.The leather
products, Jodhpuri jooties, Makrana marble items, the Jaipur quilt, the
tie-and-dye style used on fabrics are exclusive Rajasthani innovation.
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Uttar Pradesh |
The hand-knitted woollen carpets of Bhadoi and Mirzapur, delicate
chikan work of Lucknow, terracotta of Gorakhpur, wood carvings of
Saharanpur, brass ware of Moradabad, glassware of Firozabad and hand
printing works of Farrukhabad are among the best buys of the state.
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Orissa |
Be it the silver work of Cuttack, coloured wall hangings of Pipli, the
intricate paintings of Raghurajpur or the glorious hand woven fabrics of
Sambalpur, Orissa is a state that has plenty of shopping attractions for
tourists.
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North Eastern
States |
The handicraft and handloom products of the region are popular
shopping items. Products of bamboo and cane are decoruously carved into
furnitures, jewellery, utensils, show-pieces, masks and what not. Assam silk
sarees or their traditional mekhela-sador (a two-piece sari draped in a
different manner) are expensive but too gorgeous to restrain yourself from
picking your piece.
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Goa |
The
artisans of Goa are very good at making showpieces out of natural stuff like
coconut husk or palm leaves. They are also experts at wooden articles. Goan
crafts have their own distinct stamp of identity.
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Kerala |
Kerala has lots to offer to tourists having a flair for shopping.
Hand woven clothes, sea shell products and metal works of Kerala are
internationally acclaimed. The high quality coir products like carpets,
mattresses etc. are tourist favorite buys.
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Tamil Nadu |
Tamil Nadu offers a wide variety of traditional and trendy
merchandise such as carvings on brass, stone, wood and ivory, leather
bikinis, bags and shoes. To cite a few examples, Tirunellveli is popular for
pattamara mats, Tanjavur for metal works, Kumbakonam for bronze and brass
castings while Kanchipuram for items of silk.
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Andaman &
Nicobar Islands |
Get some sea shell craft items from here. The sea shell crafts of
this place are a unique piece of art, worth buying to decorate your drawing
room.
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West Bengal |
The cotton sarees of Bengal are must-buy. Also available are silk sarees
with beautiful traditional patterns. There are batik print fabric, Bengali
styled kurtas in various prints and style (for both men & women),
Shantiniketan leathers bags and and other good quality leather items that
tourists load their bags at the shopping spree in Bengal.
shopping
in india
