Jaipur Travel Guide

Jaipur Shopping

Shopping in Jaipur is a pleasure. The main markets popular among tourists are Jauhari Bazar, Bapu Bazar, Nehru Bazar, Chaura Rasta, Tripolia Bazar and M.I. Road. Jewellery, precious and semi-precious stones and the famous 'kundan' and 'minakari' work of Jauhari Bazaar attract many. Tie and dye sarees such as 'Bandhni' and 'Lehariya' are also famous in this market. Especially the two lanes famous in this market for shopping are Gopalji ka Rasta and Haldion ka Rasta that boasts of housing good and reputed shops for jewellery and traditional tie and dye fabrics and textiles.
Bapu Bazar and Nehur Bazar are famous for textiles, local perfumes and shoes made of camel skin. There are a number of emporia on Mirza Ismial road (M.I. Road) offering a wide range of products such as jewellery, brass work, textiles, blue pottery and woodwork. Leather footwear such as shoes and 'jutis' are best buys in Ramganj Bazar. Other famous bazaars are Kishanpol Bazar for tie and dye textiles, Maniharon Ka Rasta or Tripolia Bazar for lac bangles and Subhash Chowk for carpets. There is a lot of bargaining here. Jaipur is internationally known for its gemstones master cutters, polishers and gemstone dealers. Other items to look for in Jaipur are Stone Craft Marble, sandstone articles and traditional miniature paintings.

Camel Leather Items
Hand-made leather products such as 'jutis' (a type of footwear made of pure leather), bags, sandals, purses and toys of Jaipur are not only visually appealing and appeals to one's aesthetic sense but are also of good quality and impart a traditional look to the wearer. If you want to keep a bit of Rajasthan as a souvenir or gift it to somebody, these are perhaps the best options. Besides these, one can buy dolls made of clay and cloth too. In Jaipur, generally camel leather is used. Bapu Bazar (remains closed on Sunday), Nehru Bazar (remains closed on Tuesday) and Ramganj Bazar near Hava Mahal are best places to buy the leather items.

Handicrafts
Explore Amber Road between Zorawar Gate and Holiday Inn to see variety of hand-block prints, blue pottery, carpets and antiques. Glazed blue pottery of Jaipur (such as 'surahis', pots, mugs and jugs) is very famous and owes its origin to Persian artisans. Other handicrafts that are worth mentioning are papier mache and carved furniture. Brass works such as statues and toys, white metal items, stone carvings especially white marble statues of Hindu deities, animal and human figurines; carved marble bowls and vases are some of the other best buys in the markets of Jaipur. If you don't have much time, you can visit the big emporiums on M.I. road, which brings everything at one place just for you. While going on an excursion, check the Saganer village for hand-made paper, block prints and blue pottery, as it is really famous for them.

Jewellery and Gems
Internationally famous for exquisite cuts and polishing of emeralds, the traditional and unique designs of gold jewellery of Jaipur are also well reputed. Exploring the jewellery shops at Johari Bazar, situated at the junction of two lanes of Gopalji ka Rasta and Haldion ka Rasta and M.I. Road, is a pleasure for any woman. However, the shops here remain closed on Sundays and Tuesdays for some time, so it is best to plan your jewellery shopping on rest of the weekdays. Lac jewellery is produced and sold at Maniharon Ka Rasta or Tripolia Bazar. Lac bangles are especially very famous and are loved by tourists. To buy silver jewellery or precious and semi-precious stones or just to see how cutting and polishing of precious and semi-precious stones is done, one may visit the Muslim dominated area of Paharganj situated in Surajpol Bazaar. There are a number of showrooms along Amber Road.

Fabrics & Carpets
Jaipur is known for a variety of textiles such as tie and dye fabrics, hand-block prints and embroidered fabrics with mirror work that are famous all over the world. Sanganer situated very near Jaipur is the prime centre for block-makers and printers. The traditional colors of Sanganeri print are orange and red and the floral motifs dyed in yellow and blue-black. The play of colors look bright and cheerful. Jaipur also has a number of carpet centers and the city exports carpets worldwide. The varieties of carpets available here include those with Persian and Caucasian designs and patterns inspired by Afghans, Embroidered and ornate Namdas or soft woollen druggets and especially the hand-woven cotton durries that are certainly a specialty of the city. Emporiums of carpets can be found at M.I. Road and Achrol House, Subhash Chowk.