Shopping in the Markets of Jaipur

Vibrant with activity, shopping in the colorful Bazaars of Jaipur is a must and feature as one of the ‘To Do Things in Jaipur’ in the itinerary of a tourist. And, in the evening I did just that.

As I started walking past shops in Bapu Bazaar, one of the prominent markets of Jaipur, the shopkeepers persuasively called out, “Come inside Madam, have a look, what do you want?” And to lure you in, they spill enough of their stuff out into the narrow lanes…

There are narrow lanes dotted with tiny shops each showcasing a dazzling range of exquisite Rajasthani items catering to every pocket and taste. But Bargain is a must-have while shopping in Jaipur as the prices come down by even 75% in some cases!!

Footwear known as mochris or jootis is one of the hottest selling items here. Handcrafted in exclusive designs and available both plain and embroidered they are surely a big hit among shoppers as they go with both traditional Indian wear and also with jeans and skirts.

The lac and glass bangles… traditional, trendy, shimmering in bright colors… I have plenty of these!

These light-weight Jaipuri quilts (Rajais) are striking indeed but not required in Mumbai much!!

Artistic cloth bags known as jholas… mirrored work, threadwork and added embellishments…

These moodas or chairs are more fancy versions of the normal ones which I had purchased during one of my trips here and are now sitting comfortably in my living room.

Cane sticks tied up with colored strings for seating, known as moodas

Me, not being too bargain friendly, I left all these vendors disappointed and entered M. K. International, a fixed price shop as I was sure I won’t be cheated here.

Fabulous fabrics, available in various eye catching prints and designs, the traditional bandhni, batik and bandhej prints for salwar suits and block and sanganeri prints for bed sheets are very beautiful indeed. I picked up a couple of Jaipuri bedsheets and Salwar suits for me and my relatives back home.

Bandhini Chunris in Jaipur

Colorful Salwar Suits

Besides these, exquisite Rajasthani handicrafts, colorful pots, jewelry, antiques; an array of brass, ivory, wood and stone carvings, paintings and statues are some of the other things that one can look out for in various other markets like Nehru Bazaar, Indira Bazaar, Johri Bazaar and Badi Chaupar near Hawa Mahal.

As the sun sank down and the afternoon glow turned to somber dusk, I never realized how an entire day had flown by…

Birla Temple, Jantar Mantar, Amber Fort, City Palace, and so much more… there were so many places to see in Jaipur but sadly was bound by time constraints. For now though, as my train whistled away, there was only one place I could go – HOME!!