India - what to buy there

[sa]

My friend is traveling to India and I'm giving her some money to pick up a few things for me.

What would you recommend buying while there?

[msamyfarrahfowler]

Lots of colorful and bedazzled bangles. Scarves too. Maybe spice packets?

[mdgirl]

My favorite things to get are beaded chappals, which are basically fancy flip flops, and beaded purses.

[hz80408]

Bangles. I bought a ton of the hand-painted wooden ones. I get compliments on them all the time. We also bought what they kept calling 'bedcovers' and use them as table clothes (great if you like ethnic looking prints). I bought H some "lacoste" (knock-off) shirts.

[raangoli]

Ditto the suggestions for bangles, scarves and the sandals. Also, you might want to look at items that are stainless steel. I have a set of dishes, cups, a water pitcher etc. that are definitely different.

[GilliC]

I always buy computer books, because the South Asia editions are so much cheaper!

Where is she traveling? Different regions mean different suggestions. There's a lot of stonework in the north, and Jaipur is known for its handmade paper. The interior of Kerala has lots of tea and fresh spices. In Bombay I always shop for clothes (beaded embroidered tops, salwar kameez, etc). Goa is full of beachy textiles, and I've brought back some of the fabric lanterns to decorate my office.

[alleinesein]

Pashminas
Sarees
Jewelry---be cautious if you ask for bangle bracelets; Indian women have TINY wrists and most of the bangles wont fit an average sized wrist. If you do have super tiny wrists you are in luck!
Ganesh idol

Do you know what part of India your friend is travelling to?

Fabindia sells a ton of Indian made apparel, bath products, linens, etc.

I would caution against having your friend buy you clothes--the sizing is all over the place and everything fits a little weird. The arms tend to be cut very narrow/small through the armpit area. If you really want a kurta, etc go see a tailor before your friend leaves and get all your measurements. Its super cheap to have clothes made over there.

[sa]

She's going to quite a few different locations. I can only remember Mumbai, Agra and Jaipur. I know she's not going to Goa. She considered it, but decided to end the trip in the Maldives instead.

I have fairly small wrists but I also have big hands, so she made me take a measurement of my hand as if I were trying on bangles.

These are some good suggestions. Thank you.

I was really hoping she'd be able to buy some gold jewelry for me (I love the intricacy of the jewelry there and the tone of the yellow gold), but her mother-in-law advised against it.

[hz80408]

I have several pieces of gold jewelry that I either bought or our friends in Calcutta have brought for me. I also have gotten pearl earrings and necklace there pretty cheap.

[sa]

Nov 13, 2012 9:53:46 GMT -5 hz80408 said:

I have several pieces of gold jewelry that I either bought or our friends in Calcutta have brought for me. I also have gotten pearl earrings and necklace there pretty cheap.

Do you happen to know a specific jeweler to go to? I think her MIL's concern was that she was going to get ripped off unless she went to a reputable jeweler or had a local with her. They aren't meeting up with any family while there so they would be on their own.

[GilliC]

If you do want clothes, you can send body measurements along. Most independent shops tailor the garments when you buy them, and my XMIL bought the salwar kameez for my RD by giving them the measurements to tailor it. It fit fine. A sari blouse leaves less margin for error, but there are sites that can tell you what measurements (arms is usually one of them) you need if you're really interested. I never got a sari, because I didn't know how to wear one, and I knew XH would be no help. Plus XSIL had a thing against saris, because she had to wear one as her uniform at work and hated it.

[GilliC]

They price it by weight, so the workmanship is practically free. However, I agree that you need to have a good recommendation or a trusted local, so that you know you're getting what you think and that the per-ounce price is reasonable. Also, India tends to deal in very high karat gold, and with the high gold prices right now, it's quite expensive (kind of a shock in a country where everything else seems so cheap).

Last time I was in Bombay, I went to the local jeweler, but I couldn't really afford to buy anything of consequence in gold. The price is just too high for me these days. I did get a few intricate silver pieces though, and I get quite a few compliments on them.

[hz80408]

Nov 13, 2012 10:41:55 GMT -5 sa said:

Nov 13, 2012 9:53:46 GMT -5 hz80408 said:

I have several pieces of gold jewelry that I either bought or our friends in Calcutta have brought for me. I also have gotten pearl earrings and necklace there pretty cheap.

Do you happen to know a specific jeweler to go to? I think her MIL's concern was that she was going to get ripped off unless she went to a reputable jeweler or had a local with her. They aren't meeting up with any family while there so they would be on their own.

Let me check some of my boxes tonight and see what I find

[sa]

Thank you!

[alleinesein]

Gold is much cheaper in India than in the states. I paid around USD $50 a gram for 18k gold this summer. I had an 18k gold lotus blossom pendant with just over 3 cts of sapphires custom made for me and it cost around USD $400



Areas of Mumbai to have your friend check out-
Dadar East for sarees and other clothing
Zaveri Bazaar for jewelry (there is also a fabric market in the area...I bought all my silk there)

Amrapali has some cute jewelry. They have silver, gold plated silver and gold jewelry. There is a large store in Juhu Beach.

I did all my shopping with my Indian BF so he was my translator for the gemstone dealer, bench jeweler and the fabric guy. The silk over there is amazing and very very cheap.

[sa]

Beautiful stuff. I forwarded along your recommendations. Thank you.

[vampsterdam]

I would also ask for kohl eyeliner.

My friend visits her family every year in India and I get excited every time she brings some back.