The Bombay Bazaar

Welcome to the Bombay bazaar - a shopaholic's delight, with its gamut of objets d'desire! From nooks and corners in lanes reeking of past to modern day shopping malls; from street-smart bargains to haute couture; from silks and silvers glittering in dust-laden shops to contemporary ethnicity in fashionable boutiques - there is little you cannot find in this city of contrasts. Chic easily mingles with the hoi polloi and shopping may well become a voyage of discovery. But it sure helps to know where to look. So here goes - the secrets of the Mumbai Mall revealed.

In a city where distances are wide - and traffic can make these seem even more interminable - the easiest way to shop is to go area-wise. A useful tip for shopping (or even sightseeing) - do remember to travel from south Bombay to north (the suburbs) during the day and southwards in the evening. This will ensure you always move in the opposite direction from the bumper-to-bumper traffic or, if you prefer to use the local trains, you will find them conveniently uncrowded.

And All Who Enter...

We begin from the southernmost tip of the city - the Gateway of India; a symbolic start in a way! Close to the majestic stone monument and near the famous Taj Mahal Hotel lie some rich treasures! Behind the hotel (Apollo Bunder Street) are a row of shops, one after other, huddled together with incredible treasures! That's the place for some gorgeous carpets and dhurries(Indian mats and rugs) and occasionally, pashmina shawls. But even more is it a place for a treasure hunt! Just dive in into these piquant shops and you could find just about anything. From Grecian statues and antique Indian and Victorian silver to European and Oriental porcelain, bronzes and wooden carvings, old miniatures, bohemian glass, European ceramics (yes, even some Straffordshire pieces) - the offerings of these shops belie their dingy, dilapidated exteriors. You are as likely to find spectacular candelabra from a maharaja's palace as some luminous English crystal.

But a word of caution - do check the authenticity. There are some excellent reproductions around! For coin collectors, there are a couple of shops with a huge collection of Indian coins dating back to the Ancient period as well as from the Mughal and later eras. But none of these - coins or the curios - come cheap. And as these shopkeepers are well used to dealing with foreign tourists, they are well versed in the arts of dollar-commerce. It may be helpful to deal in Indian rupees than in dollars.

Take a walk down the road and there is the government run emporium - the Central Cottage Industries Exposition. This is a good place to pick up some traditional handicrafts from various parts of India - from ceramics and woodworks to some attractive products in papier mache, marble inlay, silver, brass and bronze and much more. The service is nothing much to write home about but if you are short of time, it is the best place to pick up all those souvenirs for people back home as it affords a wide choice.

Continue walking down what's known as Colaba Causeway - one of the most popular shopping areas of the town; as much for the local Bombayite as for foreign tourists. Once covered with rows of small shops, some of the old shops are gradually giving way to the newer, well-known international brands such as Benetton and Nike. But the most interesting part is the long corridor formed by the old colonial-styled buildings that have long been appropriated by a host of vendors. They sell virtually anything from local-styled shoes to cotton shifts, silver and costume jewelry in multi-hued beads to simple T-shirts matched with colorful embroidered skirts. Inexpensive bargains are the order of the day as you walk through the Causeway, the vendors loudly soliciting your patronage and hawking their wares in broken English. Within the narrow lanes are also some petite silverware shops that contain some beautiful silver jewelry.

Not too far from these is Bombay's Fashion Street. No, it's not the city's answer to Fifth Avenue or the Champs Elysee though in all probability you will find labels which proclaim DKNY or Tommy Hilfiger - and at amazingly cheap rates! No, Donna Karan does not sell on the sly here - this is the place to find low-priced T-shirts, skirts, shifts, trousers and anything else; some are excellent copies of the originals! College students' heaven with its economical price tags, the Fashion Street largely deals with low-priced export surpluses. While not too high on quality, they can be surprisingly smart and comfortable - both to wear and on the wallet. After all, how often do you buy designer wear for less than a couple of dollars! Do try to visit this place early to avoid being jostled by the crowds! This is also the place to bargain, bargain, bargain. Talk in rupees, and start with half the quoted price or less! Walk away if the shopkeeper does not budge too much from his quoted price and he will call you back!!

Remember, most of the places discussed so far - except those selling the high-ticket antiques or silver jewelry - are street places and do not accept credit cards. (Or dollars.)

Before we hit the next big Mecca for shoppers, take a detour to a stretch called New Marine Lines with its huge sari showrooms - if you are interested in picking up the most common wear for Indian women. Though the younger women are increasingly opting for the more convenient salwar-kurta (a kind of knee or even calf-length tunic with loose or semi-loose trousers and often wore with a long scarf called the dupatta), saris continue to remain the favored wear for formal and traditional occasions. Silks, crepes, cottons, chiffons, often embellished with traditional thread works, handmade weaves, silver and gold beads and in recent vogue, even crystals - these showrooms are the most popular places for young girls going trousseau shopping! And yes, these places certainly accept credit cards. You have boundless choice - from as little as $ 6 right up to $ 1000 - they have it all!

The Crème de la Crème

The triangular area of Peddar Road-Breach Candy-Warden Road may be closer to Fifth Avenue; at least in prices if not in appearances! The place where you could pick up Versace or Bisou-Bisou or a heavily encrusted and worked traditional outfit from Abu-Sandeep - the designer duo whose claim to fame lies in draping movie celebrities from India as well as those like Dame Judi Dench at the Oscars! The elite of the city reside in these areas. Mostly dotted with small-sized shops where you could easily find the usual shirts, trousers, skirts ranging from moderately priced to expensive, there are some good shops for those wanting to pick up quality salwar-kurta ensemble. Fashioned in varied ways, it could be made to look close to the western trousers and tunic or be more ethnic.

An interesting place to go to could be Anokhi that sells some lovely outfits of vegetable dyes block-prints and very reasonably priced - mostly between $10 - $100. Largely cotton, they also have a small silk selection in their range of salwar-kurtas, kaftans, shirts, trousers, gorgeously vivid long skirts and appealing cotton and chiffon scarves and sarongs. It is also the place to pick up some great bed-linen in patented block-printed designs - Anokhi has adopted certain villages in the north Indian state of Rajasthan to keep this traditional art alive and these block-prints belong exclusively to this company.

This corner of the city is also the place to buy some serious high fashion - from exquisitely embroidered Indian outfits (including saris or the full skirted skirts called lehengas) to some delightful fusion Indo-western wear. While most of the designer outlets are scattered in the area, two good places to go to - the departmental store Vama and the shopping mall Crossroads. Trendy and hip, rich and opulent - they cater to the affluent though they also have moderately priced casual wear. Vama has most of the well-known designer wear for men and women (yeah, the men may want to check out those bandhgalas - the formal Indian wear in enticing silks) and most of the designers have their own small outlets at Crossroads. From Ritu's which showcases some of the most intricate and delicate embroidery (and famed for dressing most of the Indian beauty queens for the traditional costume part of the contests) to the more contemporary Indian wear at Ensemble, you will find it all here. But be ready to pay the price - it normally starts at about US$100 - 200 for the simpler stuff, and can go way higher.

Crossroads is also the place for some serious jewelry shopping - gold, diamonds, platinum. It has an entire floor devoted to traditional and contemporary jewelry and watches from the likes of Cartier, Piaget and more.

Two other places in South Bombay which promise gratifying returns to the shopper are the shopping arcades of the five-star hotels - the Taj and the Oberoi. Not unreasonably priced, the arcades provide an eclectic mix of articles - from clothes and shoes to enchanting evening bags in sequined embroidery, from leather bags and jackets to scarves and chunky silver jewelry, from curios to Kashmiri carpets and pashmina shawls. Take a quick look around to get an idea of the wide variety before you start buying. And yes, unbelievably enough, bargain here as well, especially at the Oberoi arcade with its little shops that almost resemble jumble sales with stocks piled haphazardly around and hardly any space to stand! Keep an eye out for some unusually designed bracelet or necklet or other such fascinating trinkets in precious or semi-precious stones - and these are not too expensive.

The other major area to shop at - and fast rivaling South Bombay - is the long stretch of road called Linking Road in the suburbs. On one hand are the low cost T-shirts, shorts and so on, a la the Fashion Street; all equally bargainable though less picturesque. This is also the favored location for most international brands in casual wear - from Levis to Wrangler, from Reebok and Nike to Adidas and Benetton, you will find them all here. Fairly close by, though on different roads, are the two FabIndia Stores - pick up appealing ethnic Indian clothes, skirts, tops and trousers with Indian prints and a range of linen, cushion cover and mats.

Well, there are some scattered places you may want to visit for some specific items - there is the Chor Bazaar (Thieves' Bazaar!) with some great looking old furniture and deco pieces but it also abounds in copies. There is the Heera Panna Shopping Arcade. Largely famous for its imported items in the import-restrictions regime (especially the electronics), the arcade remains surprisingly popular despite many of the items now available in an unrestricted manner. Not much for an overseas visitor unless you want to pick up some not traditional jewelry or expensive Swiss watches - Omega, Longines and more.

This by and large covers the shopping avenues for an overseas tourist. Most of the regular stuff - clothes, foodstuffs, cosmetics, medical supplies, personal products etc. - are easily available in every part of the city. So go ahead and splurge - happy shopping!

Published on 5/24/01