Street shopping in India

Hello and welcome back. This is your  friend Prabhasini, with an amazing collection of the most popular shopping destination, esp for students - the street shopping.

A bargain here, and a bargain there. Garment stalls with adjacent pani-puri stands. Casual threats to move on to the next store. Shopkeepers calling out to check out their merchandise, often blocking your way. All these sounds familiar to most of the Indians, esp. the Indian shoppers, as no shopping in India is actually complete without street shopping.

With longest and probably the craziest networks of streets, Indian street markets provide customers with almost anything and everything they would intend to buy. Moreover, most of these come at a much cheaper bargain, compared to the malls and established shops. Hence, for the budget conscious shopper, street shopping is always the best idea. Along with it, with a plethora of products available within the same category, the scope to choose from a range and select the best also increases. And, food-lovers of India, do cherish the fact that you can always enjoy a plate of chaat or golgappa, while you go about your shopping spree. And despite the fact that these days, food-stalls are operated within the malls too, people still prefer those minute amendment like - a bit more spicy or a bit more sweet, one extra please, a little bit extra of some ingredients or quantity etc., made at street stalls, which cannot be made at package-centric food joints in malls.

And, although people do complain about the crafty bargain, and crowd, at heart, everyone is pleased because it not just buys them the product they want, street shopping also gives shoppers a sense of achievement, or a motivation to win the next time. And these, are really crucial in this world, where everyone can go frenzy over winning anything.

Now lets us look at some of the popular street shopping destinations of India:

1. New Market ( Kolkata)

With a history associated with the british era, the building of New market and Hogg market came up during 1840s to 1850s. But soon, the streets were taken over by local weavers, artisans, craftsmen, bakers etc. to sell their stuff. During British era, the main customers that were targeted were the British families living in Kolkata. So, even today, some of their customs are still prevalent among these street shopkeepers, who have been there since generations. Apart from it, the British legacy is pretty evident from the food-joints and meat shops. Here one would get almost anything, at an extremely cheap price. And the good news is low price doesn’t curtail quality. But, one has to be careful.

2. Gariahat market (Kolkata)

Spread along the vast stretch from golpark to rashbehari avenue on the right, ballygunge-kasba route on the left, and pantaloons in the front, its a sprawling market for every household needs, ranging from pins to cloth clips to bed-sheets to pillow-covers to garments to bags, it has almost everything. And, despite the prices being a bit higher than New market, these are still very much cheap.

3. Mall Road, Shimla

It is a main road in Shimla, which too finds its roots in the British era. It has everything from shawls to cardigans to jewelry to hilly fruits, and lots more of what the hills has to offer. And along with the items, it also provides a unique experience for every tourist, artist, photographer or anyone who wants to bask in the serenity of hills. The crochet stuffs and phulkari are excellent bargains there.

4. Police Market, Shillong

Indeed the hills has lot to offer. And, merchandise is definitely one of them. Yet again, this small and extremely humble north-eastern hill state - Shillong, known for pine clad roads and conifers, finds its place in this list for the most popular street - police bazaar, which is a popular destination for street shopping, esp. if you want to buy jute or natural fiber baskets and artifacts. It is a huge market for Bhutanese woolen garments.

5. Crawford Market, Mumbai

Moving on to the west of India, Mumbai is not just a hub for Bollywood and growing industries, it has sprawling street shopping arenas as well. Crawford market near the famous Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus, is named after the first Municipal Commissioner of Bombay, Arthur Crawford. It also has the reputation of selling the best fruits, esp. Oranges which is a popular fruit of Maharashtra. Apart from it, one can buy a range and variety of garments from here.

6. Gandhi Market, Mumbai

Covering a vast stretch of sion, is this market - known for glisters. The reason - it is the market to head to if you wish to buy lehenga, fancy or designer salwar suits, designer shoes etc. And the price is really affordable, much lower in comparison to its mall counterparts.

7. Baapu Bazaar, Jaipur

If you come to India or you happen to plan your vacation, indeed no tour is fully complete without a visit to the land of Rajas and Maharajas, the land of mystery and folklore, the land of a culture of bravery and trend of its own, the land called Rajasthan. And, Jaipur - the pink city of India, is its capital, with lots to offer. Apart from the forts and grandeur of the city’s style and architecture, one can do a lot of shopping from Baapu Bazaar, which is a popular street shopping zone here. Apart from souvenirs, one can buy local Rajasthani handicrafts, Jaipuri ethnic shoes, meenakari saris-ghagras-shawls, and a lot more.

The glass bangles and trinkets and glass beads are something to look out for.

Well, while you enjoy yourself shopping, here are a few tips to be kept in mind to enjoy your shopping hassle free:

1. Check the quality of items before you purchase them.

2. Do bargain. Usually the prices can be reduced to atleast 100 rupees less from what the shopkeepers say.

3. First of all, check out all the stores that are available. Listen to the prices charged, as they are usually shouted out in order to woo customers. This will give you an idea about which store to go to, and how to go about bargaining.

4. While you are busy with so much activity do keep a strict vigil over your belongings. These are usually crowded places, and, a breeding ground for pick-pockets.

5. Never expect to enjoy a night shopping experience here. The markets or most of the major shops shut down after a stipulated time, commonly 5 to 7 pm in the evening. Beyond this, it would be risky to venture out in these areas.

So, with all these information, hope you have a great time shopping.

For more information and for sharing your experiences, follow me on twitter - @PranWin or send in your emails to aamiprabhasini@gmail.com 

Stay tuned for more such articles.