The Best Shopping Trips Only India Makes Possible

There is a particular kind of shopping that only India makes possible. Not the kind that happens in a mall, under fluorescent lights, with a fixed price tag. The kind where you find yourself three floors above a narrow lane in Old Delhi, surrounded by lehengas in every shade of sunset, deciding quite reasonably that an overweight baggage fee is a small price to pay.

For the Indian community in Bangkok, a trip back to India is rarely just a visit. It is a mission. There are things to source that simply cannot be found here at the same quality or price, no matter how many trips to Phahurat.

The bridal lehenga that exists in Bangkok, but never quite at the right price. The pashmina that gets called pashmina everywhere outside Kashmir but bears very little resemblance to the real thing. The jewellery that loses half its magic the moment a middleman gets involved.

Each state has its signature: a craft, a textile, a speciality perfected over centuries and sold, at its source, for a fraction of what the rest of the world pays. Masala has mapped five of them.

There is a reason brides fly in from across the world to shop in Chandni Chowk. The lanes of Katra Pyare Lal hold the most extraordinary concentration of bridal wear in the country: zardozi embroidery so intricate it can take weeks to complete, hand-stitched mirror work, banarasi brocade borders, and silhouettes that rival a designer atelier at a fraction of the price.

Aditya & Mohit is the name that comes up consistently for a wide range, current designs, and something for every budget. Many shops offer customisation with a two-to-three-week turnaround, so plan this into your itinerary rather than leaving it as a last-minute stop.

Go on a weekday morning, arrive knowing your colour and silhouette, and leave room in the suitcase.

Price note: Expect craftsmanship that rivals a designer label, at a price that does not.

Jaipur has been the jewellery capital of India since Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II designed the city in 1727, assigning entire streets to specific trades. Nearly three centuries later, the lanes of Johari Bazaar still operate as he intended, and the moment you step in, it is immediately clear why the rest of the world pays so much more for the same pieces elsewhere.

A significant proportion of the world’s precious and semi-precious stones are cut and polished here, putting buyers as close to the source as possible. Kundan, polki, and meenakari designs remain excellent value against what the same pieces command in Bangkok boutiques.

For silver jewellery and semi-precious stones at wholesale rates, Chameliwala Market near MI Road is the trade-focused alternative favoured by international buyers.

Always ask for a hallmark on gold and a gem certificate for any significant stone; established dealers will not hesitate to provide one.

Price note: Prices vary widely by stone quality and craftsmanship; budget accordingly and always buy certified.

There is pashmina, and then there is Kashmiri pashmina, and the gap between the two is a matter of an entirely different material, process, and several centuries of craft tradition.

The genuine article is woven from the fine undercoat of the Changthangi goat, found only in the high terrain of Ladakh, hand-spun and worked on traditional looms in the Kashmir Valley. What is sold as pashmina across Bangkok and much of India is rarely this, which is why Srinagar is the only place worth making this purchase.

Polo View Market has established dealers carrying authentic pashmina shawls; for first-time buyers, the Kashmir Government Arts Emporium on Residency Road offers GI-certified pieces at fixed prices and guaranteed authenticity.

If you want embroidery, ask whether it is sozni (needle-worked onto the surface in silk thread) or kani (woven directly into the fabric on the loom); the latter is rarer and the mark of a truly exceptional piece.

Price note: Genuine pashmina is a considered purchase, not an impulse buy. Plan your budget before you go.

If you have ever bought a salwar suit in Bangkok and quietly done the maths on what the fabric actually costs, Surat is about to be a revelation.

India’s self-styled Textile Capital, Surat supplies Indian clothing stores across Southeast Asia before the price has had a chance to climb. The Globale Textile Market complex on Sahara Darwaja Ring Road is where hundreds of traders sell printed georgette, bandhani fabrics, bridal dupatta collections, and ready-to-wear kurti sets at manufacturer prices.

Bring a colour swatch if sourcing for a specific occasion; the range is staggering, and it is easy to lose an afternoon without one.

Price note: Manufacturer prices throughout, a fraction of what the same fabrics cost once they leave India.

Every Indian kitchen in Bangkok is, in some small way, Kerala’s doing, and buying its spices at source is one of the most practical things any household can do on a trip back.

Earning its reputation as India’s Spice Garden is no accident: the state’s tropical climate, wedged between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, produces some of the country’s finest black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves.

Broadway, Kochi is the local’s choice for honest prices with no tourist markup, while the old spice warehouses of Mattancherry offer more atmosphere, at slightly higher prices.

Kerala is also the birthplace of Ayurveda, and the same land that produces its spices supplies a remarkable variety of medicinal herbs and roots. Both markets carry licensed Ayurvedic hair oils, massage oils, and herbal preparations that are difficult to source at this quality anywhere else.

Always purchase from licensed outlets where labelling and expiry dates are clearly displayed.

Price note: Although prices on spices and Ayurvedic products are wholesale, they may vary by formulation and brand.