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SHOPPING |
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Unlike Delhi, Calcutta is not geared towards tourism - a fact which is reflected, with one or two exceptions, by its
shops
. However, it does hold many characterful
markets
, including the wide-ranging
New Market
, and local institutions such as
Gariahat
in the south and
Barabazaar
to the north. Modern
shopping complexes
- good for bookshops, clothes, leather and jewellery - are cropping up all over the city; these include the Emami Shoppers City at Lord Sinha Road, the brand new Metro Shopping Centre at 1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani, good for clothes and leather goods, and the Shree Ram Arcade, opposite the Lighthouse near New Market.
Among typical Bengali handicrafts to look out for are
metal
dokra
items from the Shantiniketan region northwest of the city, in which objects such as animals and birds are roughly cast by a lost-wax process to give them a rough, wiry look. Long-necked, pointy-eared terracotta horses from Bankura, in all sizes, have become something of a cliché.
Kantha
fabrics
display delicate line stitching in decorative patterns, while Bengali
leatherwork
features simple patterns dyed in subtle colours.
Books
The month-long
Calcutta Book Fair
, held on the Maidan near Park Street in January and February, is now among the biggest of its kind in the country, and provides a good opportunity to pick up books at a discount.
Classical Books
...
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Emporia
Good selections of most handicrafts, including lace, can be found in various
state emporia
, many of which are located in the large
Dakhsinapan
shopping complex south of Dhakuria Bridge near Gol Park. Offering fixed (if slightly...
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Fabrics and clothing
Calcutta's dress sense, in general, is conservative, and the choice of ready- made garments is not very exciting. However, a wide range of fabrics is available, and all outlets should be able to point you towards a very good (and very cheap)
tailor...
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Musical instruments
Calcutta is renowned for its sitar and sarod makers - expect to pay upwards of Rs5000 for a decent instrument. Shops around Sudder Street are strongest on Western instruments but their traditional instruments are invariably of inferior quality and may be...
read more >>
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