The Indian markets cater multiple options to the travelers to pick the right thing of right choice. From the semi precious stone studded garland to a trendy leather shoe, Indian market is the ultimate destination for the shoppers around the world. A leisurely walk through the crowded lanes of the Indian metro cities are sure to indulge your sense and taste for exquisitely carved jewellery, beautiful handicraft items, excellent paintings and some real good Indian clothes. As we mention about jewellery, the first name coming to our mind is Jaipur. The narrow streets of Johari Bazar of this beautiful city are world famous for their silver, precious and semi-precious stone jewellery. But how can anyone forget the alluring designs of small, medium and large pearl studded ornaments of the Pearl City Hyderabad or the dazzling diamond jewellery of Mumbai, Zaveri Bazaar? Another fascinating aspect of the Indian markets are its handicraft items. Be it a colourful ornament or decorative items like bells and chimes, candle holders, flower vases or some intricately designed home furnitures, shopping is never ending fun in the passion to decorate yourself or your dining room with these tempting articles. The handicraft of Rajasthan, Orissa and West Bengal need special mention here. As we open the cultural basket of India , the first treasure to come out would be the excellent paintings. Apart from the globally acclaimed painters, India is also rich with the traditional rural paintings like Madhubani Paintings of Bihar. Made by the village women exploring their imagination, these bright paintings are going palaces across the globe. These traditional Indian folk art paintings are worth of collection which are available in the sophisticated shopping arcades of Murya Lok Complex or Hathua Market. Another priceless jewel of Indian culture is the numerous books available in the College Street Market of Kolkata, which is nothing less than a treasure island for the book worms. This huge market is famous for catering any kind of books in all the famous languages of the world.
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Floor Coverings |
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Furniture |
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Jewellery |
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Metal craft |
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Painting |
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Pottery |
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Stone |
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Textiles |
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Wood Craft |
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Floor Coverings in India
 Carpets 
Pleasing to the eye and soothing for the mind, the floor coverings of India are heart-winners. The main centres are Bhadohi, Agra, Amritsar, Jaipur, Gwalior and Kashmir. Being mostly export- oriented, the weavers can produce almost any design. However they have a few distinctive designs of their own like the Taj Mahal. The carpets are so exquisitely made that they are often used as wall hangings. Improvements in the techniques of washing, have given them a mcre lustrous shine.
The Mughal emperors provided patronage to this art and raised it to lofty heights, with Agra being one of the oldest carpet centres. Today it is a compact industry and does both traditional as well as modem designs. The "calling out" or "pher bolna" system still prevails in Agra . The master weaver alone follows the design and keeps calling out to the weavers about colours to be used for each knot. High quality carpets are produced mostly in three varieties -Persian (Ispahan & Kashan), Turkoman and Aubusson (French).
lndo-lspahan is done with the long leaf & flower and the Indo-Kashan with the small leaf and flower. In the Indo-Turkoman the Mohra Bokhara is made with the typical octagonal patterns. An interesting point in its colouring is the use of the same colour in different shades. For instance, a red background will have a dark blue border with two shades of blue, one light, another medium. Similarly there may be two greens, two shades of browns and gold, etc. In the more sophisticated, even four shades of one tint are mixed. The carpets of India are universally admired not only for their original patterns, fine wool and rich colours, but also for being produced in sizeable quantities of acceptable commercial quality. The carpet industry in Shahjehanpur is barely a century old and here, both cotton and woollen carpets are made. The woollen ones being in three sizes, the ordinary with 16 knots, medium with 25 and the best with 36 knots. The designs are based on the old Persian styles. In one of the more exciting ones, the overall ground colour is a clear soft scarlet, and field covered with flattened, irregularly lineated diamond shapes of warm golden yellow, apparently separated, yet imperceptibly linked.
Durries
The brilliantly coloured durries are also an expression of the imagination of the craftspersons of India . Exciting colours, forms, shapes and vibrant images characterize this delightful art form.
Jute Floor Covering & Runners
Being an important centre of world's jute production, the craftsmen of West Bengal have made use of this product extensively in an exquisite manner to create several types of floor covering with several hues, sizes and designs, which represent Indian skills par excellence. Moreover, it is for certain, that it will not pinch your pocket.
Ideal places to Shop: Agra, Amritsar, Jaipur, Gwalior, Kashmir, Bengal.
Furniture of India
Cane & Moonj
For those who prefer ethnic with the raw look, India offers a superb selection of baskets made of moonj grass. These are available in attractive blends of traditional designs and modern functional utility. Durable and decorative cane furniture and other articles made here are a major draw as items for export. World imports of basket work and related products are quite substantial.
Ideal Place to Shop: Kashmir, Assam, Aranachal Pradesh, Tripara, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan
Decorative work
Patra furniture is plated with white metal which is intricately carved and engraved. This exquisite metal work which once adorned the furniture in the palaces of the royalties is popular even today and is the pride of Rajasthan. Lac furniture from Gujarat is exquisite in variety and embellished with workmanship called Sankheda. From Kashmir and many parts of Rajasthan, come exquisitely carved furniture.
Ideal Places to Shop: Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kashmir, Assam, Tripura, Orissa and Punjab.
Jewellery in India
Costume Jewellery
For the hi-fashion woman of today there’s nothing quite like the offbeat style of self adornment... pick the style that suits you most! For, with the passing of centuries, the old appears offbeat today, having an irresistible lure for women the world over. India is one of the most important countries for the manufacture and export of costume jewellery. It has the largest production base for glass beads.
Ideal Places to Shop: Kashmir, Rajasthan, Mumbai.
Glass & Bead Jewellery
Varanasi is famous for its glass beads made from fused glass rods, while Purdilpur is famous for black glass beads. Mathura is noted for lovely glass beads, stringing glass and wooden beads in necklaces together with rudraksha {sacred seeds associated to Lord Shiva) and tulsi (basil) in a variety of interesting combinations. Ferozabad has a rich selection of fragile and delicate lightweight beads. `German silver` jewellery created to modern tastes is made in Agra, while Meerut produces exquisite metal jewellery. Silver ornaments are especially popular in Rajasthan, while Karnal in Haryana produces hollow silver beads. Rohtak has well made peasant jewellery and graceful head ornaments are made in Maharashtra.
Tribal Jewellery
India has a large tribal population. Their jewellery is a major attraction within the country as well as abroad. The adornment fashioned from flowers, leaves, stones of creepers and fruits are unbelievalbly charming, shells, seeds and berries rudraksha being, the most celebrated. Shell bracelets of W. Bengal, specially filigreed gold bracelets will, for certain, capture your heart.
Ideal Places to Shop: Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra Kerala, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Metal Craft in India
Gold & Silverware
The princely states of India demanded not only enamelled jewellery but also enamelled utensils such as wine-cups, finger-bowls, pill boxes etc. , in both gold and silver repousse, sometimes studded with jewels. The craftspersons of India excel in this art. With the evolution of new tools, techniques and skills, they are now better equipped to cater to modern tastes. Fully geared to meet modern market demands, today the gold and silver plated articles produced are usually plain or even when ornamented are devoid of extensive encrustation. Portions of silver articles are sometimes covered with gold water. The designs thus formed are known as the Ganga-Jamuna pattern from the rivers Ganga and Jamuna which meet at Allahabad and flow together. Lucknow , the former seat of the Nawabs of Avadh produces an extensive range of gold and silver plated articles in a multitude of patterns. The designs resemble those found in Kashmir. Owing to the strong Islamic influence, still prevailing, most of the articles are highly ornamented, with repousse work depicting hunting and jungle scenes and floral motifs.
Brass & Copperware
India is the largest brass and copper making region in the world with thousands of establishments spread all over for articles made out of one or more pieces of metal. The copper or brass sheet is first marked out by a pair of compass and the piece or pieces cut off by a scissor called katari. The required shape is made by alternate heating and hammering, and is finally turned on the lathe. The final polish to the article is given on the lathe itself. Moradabad is famous for utensils, both utility and ornamental, made of white metal and electroplated brass and copper. The engraving is either sada (plain) or sia kalam. Modern streamlined articles of Swedish design in polished brass or burnished copper are also made here, satisfying the demand for modern accessories and sophisticated interior decoration. Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh is the first city in India for the multitude of its cast and sculptured mythological images and emblematic in brass and copper as well as household utensils. In recent years Mirzapur has also emerged as one of the important brass industries of Uttar Pradesh. Goods produced have an all India market, with a portion being exported to other countries. Some of the most beautiful and interesting metal ware of India for daily as well as for ceremonial purposes are crafted in Kashmir, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Metal Ornamentation
Metal ornaments have been a rave in all ages and times. The attractive contrasts in colours and textures of metals has led to the evolution of metal ornamentation through techniques like inlay, overlay, appliqué, fixing of colours etc.
Bidri
Bidri, a form of surface ornamentation, takes its name from the city of Bidar situated north-west of Hyderabad . The work is in black colour which never fades and is relieved with silver and gold inlay. In Lucknow the art of manufacturing bidri is believed to have been introduced from the time of the Nawabs of Avadh. The Emperor at Delhi bestowed on them the dignity of the fish (Mahi Murattib) Lucknow bidri, therefore, abounds in fish motifs, flora & fauna and vine leaf patterns.
Enamelling
Enamelling is the art of colouring and ornamenting the surface of the metal by fusing over it various mineral substances. The beauty of the article depends on the skill and resources of the worker and the excellence of the materials employed. The range of colours obtained on gold is much greater than that on silver, copper and brass. Three forms of enamelling are known to exist. These include the cloisonné of Japan and China, the chamleve pattern extensively practised in Lucknow and Varanasi . And Jaipur specialises in enamelled trays and trinket boxes.
Ideal Places to Shop: Lucknow, Varanasi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bihar.
Paintings in India
Floor Painting
When we come to a later period, we find a definite established tradition of paintings on various objects, particularly floors, walls and on intimate objects of everyday use, and in most instances the act being associated with some ritual. The origin of painting is traced to a moving legend recorded in the ChitraJakshana-the earliest Indian treatise on painting. When the son of a king's high priest died, Lord Brahma (the Creator) asked the king to paint a likeness of the boy so that he can breathe life into him again. This is how the first painting was made. The Chola rulers in the south, made extensive use of kolam, floor designs. These decorations done only by women are amongst the most expressive of folk-arts. They are known by different names in different parts of the country, alpana in Bengal and Assam, aripana in Bihar, mandana in Rajasthan, rangoli in Gujarat and Maharashtra, chowkpurana in Uttar Pradesh (except the Kumaon region) and kolam in the South. The Rajasthani mandana is equally rich. Floor paintings in Andhra are known as muggulu and Himachal Pradesh has its own distinctive floor paintings with geometrical patterns.
Wall Paintings
The paintings on walls have deeper themes, also narratives in a series of panels. Apart from their decorative purpose, they also constitute a form of visual education like picture books from which one learns of one's heritage. Wall paintings in Punjab, outer Delhi and Rajasthan are usually made at festivals and special occasions like marriages. Folk paintings in Rajasthan attained a high standard and artists won great fame in this art. The themes are from epics and heroic Rajput tales. In the Kumaon, the usual wall pictures are known as bar-boond (dash and dot). The pattern is done by first putting down a number of dots to make the outline of the design, then joining them together by lines in different colours. This call for intense concentration and immense patience, for an error in a single dot or dash can upset the entire composition. Each pattern is known by the number of dots used. One is known as masti-bar-mat design, a composition of ten dots and the colours used are yellow, violet and green. There are all-over designs of roses and jasmines covering the entire wall.
Phad Paintings
Phad paintings are predominantly yellow, red and green coloured long scrolls carried by the 'Bhopas' itinerant balladers of Rajasthan, who narrated in song the legend of Pabuji -a local hero -on auspicious occasions to the accompaniment of the folk instrument 'Ravanhatta' made by the Joshis of Shahpur, near Bhilwara. Phads are now also available in smaller panels portraying single incidents or characters from the epic.
Mughal Miniature Paintings
Of all the art forms in the Mughal period, miniature paintings are painstakingly painted creations that depict the events and lifestyle of the Mughals in their magnificent palaces. Other paintings include portraits or studies of wildlife and plants. This art is still alive and popular in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Madhubani Paintings
The wall paintings of Madhubani are joyous expressions of the women of Madhubani, Bihar. The lively compositions and the vibrant colours used to paint them are generally drawn from Indian mythology.
Ideal Places to Shop : Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bengal.
The craftspersons of Khurja in Uttar Pradesh have evolved a style of their own by raising the pattern with the use of thick slips into a light relief, Glazes in warm shades of autumnal colours like orange, brown, and light red have also been developed by them. Floral designs in sky-blue are worked against a white background. A type of pitcher like a pilgrim's bottle, decorated in relief by a thick slip is a speciality of Khurja. Rampur surahis (water pots) are noted for their uniform green -blue glazes with plain surfaces, the base being prepared from red clay. Excellent water containers are made in Meemt and Hapur which stand out with their striking designs of flowing lines. and floral patterns, often capped by wired shaped spouts. A very special kind of earthenware peculiar to Nizamabad in Azamgarh district is distinguished by its dark lustrous body. This sheen is obtained by dipping it into a solution of clay.
Stone Craft & Marble Inlay Work
Hamirpur district in Uttar Pradesh has nurtured a sizeable stone carving industry with its rich deposits of beautiful soft stone. The stone is many coloured with the predominance of a lovely red shade. Marble is also used, especially for making statues. In Varanasi the work is done by a community called raidas. The range of items include tableware, plates, glasses, bowls, food containers, candle stands, etc.
Agra is world famous for its superb inlay work in marble, drawing inspiration from the Taj Mahal. The designs are either foliage or floral intertwined with geometrical patterns. Models in marble of the Taj, vases, boxes, lamps, plates, bowls and pitchers in delicately molded shapes & fine carvings are some of the popular items produced here. Intricate friezes and trellis or jali work done in an eye- catching range of patterns is also speciality of this place. Vrindavan near Mathura has marble as well as alabaster products. Some objects are embossed with semiprecious stones or synthetic gems.
A dark brown stone with yellow spots and lines called sange-rathek is found in Jhansi and its neighbourhood from which lampshades, incense stick stands, small medicine grinders are made. Midnapur in West Bengal is an important traditional region for stoneware and the main centre is Simulpur. Bihar's very ancient tradition in stone carving is proved by the magnificent sculpture of the Mauryan period. Tamil Nadu has a great tradition in stone carving of icons of classical excellence and Rajasthan may be called the land of marble with its stones in various colours and textures.
Ideal Place to Shop : Rajasthan, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Textiles in India
Brocade Textiles
Extreme softness vivid colours and translucent texture characterises the silk weaving of India . Varanasi , centre silk weaving center is famous not only for its brocade or kinkab (superb weaving in gold and silver), but also for the wide variety of techniques and styles. The brocades are distinguished by apt poetic names like chand tara (moon and stars), dhupchhaon (sunshine and shade), mazchar (ripples of silver), morgala (peacock's neck), bulbul chasm (nightingale's eyes). Varanasi is also famous for tanchoi saree which resembles a fine miniature. Its origin can be traced to three Indian Parsi brothers by the name of Choi. In tanchoi sarees the designs are alway floral with interspersing of birds Mubrakpur, is one of the important silk weaving centres in the area. Jamdani or 'figured muslin' traditionally Woven in Dacca is now of speciality of Tada in Faizabad. the cotton fabric is brocaded with cotton and sometimes with zari threads. Each region has its typical technical skills and variations and the silk of Mysore, Kanchipuram, Murshidabad and Kashmir are as well known as the cotton sarees of Bengal or the cotton and silk maheshwaris of Madhya Pradesh.
The famous ikat technique is used in the Patolas of Gujarat and Orissa.
Embroidery
In the field of ornamentation, embroidery alone can match jewellery in splendour. It is an expression of emotions, rendered with patient labour which includes grace and elegance into articles of everyday use. The chikan work of Lucknow , patterned on lace is delicate and subtle. The stitch by Its sheer excellence provides ornamentation to the material. The charm lies in the minuteness of the floral motifs, stitches used are satin stitch, button- hole stitch, dar stitch knot stitch netting and appliqué work which bring a charming shadowy effect on lace.
Embroidery done in metal wires by kalabattu or zari as it is popularly called, is in a class by itself. The heavier and more elaborate work is Salma sitara, gijai, badla, katori seed pearls are used for decoration. Kamdani, a lighter needle work done on lighter material, produces a lovely glittering effect, especially in designs known as hazara booti, thousand dots, done with zari thread. Kamdani is used for weaving apparel such as scarves veils, caps etc.
Hand Block Printing
The fabric is further decorated by printing designs on it. Hand block printing in India was the chief occupation of the chhipas -a community of printers. they used metal or wooden blocks to print desigt1s on the fabrics by hand. This technique is in vogue even today. Besides Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh is also a veritable treasure-house of traditional desigt1s which range from the classical booties. known as dots of Kanauj, to the universal Mango, to the famous Tree of Life. The great colour belt in India extends from the interior of Sind through the deserts of Kutch, Kathiawar, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Rajasthan and Gujarat are particularly noted for its bandhini design.
Ethnic Dresses
Smile, but do not laugh if you see a young French woman wearing a Kashmiri Shikara dress or Rajasthani ghagra and choli. India being a land of various communities, you can be sure of falling to temptation of buying atleast half a dozen ethnic dresses from various parts of the country. These are freely available in respective local markets.
Ideal Place to Shop: Varanasi Mysore, Kashmir, Lucknow, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chennai, Kerala.
Wood Craft
Wood Carving
Painstakingly carved and inlaid, the wooden articles of Uttar Pradesh are quite a rave with all lovers of wood carvings. Saharanpur here is known for its carvings in hard sheesham and particularly for its famous vine-Ieaf patterns. The range of designs include floral, geometric and figurative decoration, in addition to the traditional anguri and takai carvings, jali (fretted ornamentation), brass, copper and Ivory inlay work. Bone and plastic are now being used as low cost substitutes for Ivory since extracting of Ivory is banned in India . Manipuri in Uttar Pradesh is also known for its wood-work inlaid with brass wire on ebony or black sheesham. The states of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Kerala have developed distinctive styles of wood carvings. Even Rajasthan is noted for its carved sandalwood and rosewood besides heavy ornamental furniture.
Wood Lacquering
Lacquering on wood not only lends colour and sparkle to the products, but also smoothens out the contours thereby imparting a lustrous finesse. India is well known for ornamental lacquering involving intricate patterns like zig-zag and dana work, atishi, abri or cloud and nakkashi. In Varanasi , a number of lacquered toys and miniature kitchen utensils for children to play with, are made
Sculptures
The artistic woodcarvings of southern India draws inspiration from the old Indian tradition of worship. Apart from marvellous prototypes of various gods and goddesses, the wall plaques, statues and toys made of rosewood, sandalwood and teakwood are mesmerising to behold.
Ideal Place to Shop: Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, Sikkim, West Bengal, Kamataka.
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