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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. |
