Shopping, Delhi

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This is an amazing area for shopping, and just seeing how local life goes on in the big city.
Yes, this area is backpacker central for Delhi, this is where most of the budget hotels live and there are internet cafes, postal services, cafes and shops.
But before you get the wrong idea about this place, it is not on the "backpacker scale" as in Bangkok's legendary Khao San Road - in fact it is nowhere near.

Parhaganj is the district just across from the New Delhi train station, the street is otherwise known as Main Bazaar. This is where you can experience the Indian haggling shopping experience, see cows pushing people out of the way along the street, see tuktuks, rickshaws, and taxi cars fighting for business and thats all over your muffin and coffee!

We were dragged to see the Kashmiri cooperative by our guide. He said it was his duty to show us the handicrafts as part of the tourist policy.
However, there were few things to see except carpets, clothes and pashminas. The things on sale were very good quality however and their service was excellent, offering free shipping to home country etc. But it was hard sell all the way. We had to just glance at an item and it was being pushed down our throats. In the end we had to give in, and after a hard fight bargaining got a nice rug at a reasonable price. Tabs were sewn on it so it could be hung on a wall. Then it was wrapped in sacking and sewn up. We decided to take it with us rather than have it shipped.
The Pakistani outfits were expensive, though my maid had asked me to get her one. And the pashminas cost several thousand rupees, but were really nice, sigh!

At least thereafter we declined strongly any attempt to coerce us into a shop.

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Connaught Place is a great place to do some shopping with western chains such as Woodlands, Dockers, Levi's, Reebok and Nike being located here. There are also many other clothes and shoes shops for both sexes and also bookstores, jewellery and electrical shops (found in the underground Palika Bazaar). Its a rather confusing place to navigate around and you do end up going round in circles!

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Old Delhi's spice market is said to be the largest in Asia. There are dozens of stalls and shops lining the main street of Khari Baoli with sacks full of nuts and spices spilling over onto the all ready crowded pavement and even on the roads. The atmosphere in the area is extremely hectic with everyone doing their own thing by whatever means they can. Gadodia Market, which lies just south of Khari Baoli, is a spice wholesaler's storage area. The entrance is through a covered arcade that directly takes visitors into a small courtyard lined with storerooms with giant-sized old-fashioned weighing scales, loading, carrying or unloading of huge sacks of items from manual trolleys. Built by Seth Lakshmi Narayan Gadodia in the early 20th century, the first thing you do when you enter is sneeze as the smell and dust gets right up your nose! Even the locals were doing it!

at this place you get to see the WHOLE of India, Yes & I mean it.... this is our every Sunday hangout place, cause it has something new to offer every week. Highlights are : handicrafts & food stalls from each state, wide variety of jewellery - not all of it junk, sometimes you get real beautiful silver stuff.Also look out for shawls, rugs, carpets in the winters. Nowadays, there is a craze for Chinese bells/ chimes. During the festive season like Diwali there is typical fest - with things like the Giant Wheel, puppet shows, chaat stalls etc.

DELHI OR DILLI HAAT- Let's go shopping
It is the hub of artisans...ummmm rather the products made by artisans. Here you can pick up all- ethnic clothes, china-ware, bamboo furniture, silvery jewellery, woollens, papier-mache, glass-ware, brass artifacts ....almost everything. Do bargin...and do not miss out eating traditional Indian food that more than 20 food joints.........bingo!!!

Janpath-for all the shopaholics!This place is like 'Dilli Haat',although its more like a row of stalls along a lonnggggg street!

Here's where you can find unique items to take back home as gifts(and NO!they are not expensive!!:)
Mirrored sling bags,funky bangles,wooden show pieces,clothes and toys are in abundance!
Dont forget to bargain(quote 50% of what the shopkeeper tells you,and be prepared to compromise!)
Lots of fun!!Keep atleast half a day for this:)