Page 722 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

720  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS
SHOPS & MARKETS

India’s superb tradition of textiles, arts accessories. Though often a noisy and
and crafts makes shopping in this country chaotic experience, browsing through the
tremendous fun. The range and quality stalls can often lead to exciting bargains.
is diverse – finely crafted bronzes and Traditional bazaars co-exist with the multi-
metalware, lustrous silks, jewellery, miniature storeyed department stores and shopping
paintings and handwoven carpets, as well malls of urban India, where all manner of
as delightful, inexpensive tribal artifacts and goods, both local and imported, are sold
souvenirs. The kaleidoscope of hues, textures under one roof. These are a favourite with
and scents at local bazaars and markets, local shoppers. For details on shopping
where flowers, fresh produce and spices in Delhi, see pages 100–101; for Kolkata, see
are sold, is fascinating, as are the rows of pages 286–7; for Mumbai, see pages 466–7;
pavement sellers hawking clothes and and for Chennai, see pages 578–9.
Opening Hours
Most shops in the principal
shopping areas in urban India
are open from about 10am
to 9pm. Local stores keep
longer hours, while markets
selling fresh produce are open
for business from dawn until
late at night. Government
emporia have fixed shopping
hours, from 10am to 6pm with
a lunch break between 1pm
and 2pm. Shop timings vary
from city to city, as do holidays.
Republic Day (26 January),
Independence Day (15 August)
and Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday A shopping mall in Gurgaon
(2 October) are national holidays,
and by law all shops and markets it is wise to carry some cash particular care when purchases
in the country remain closed. for purchases in bazaars and need to be shipped out. Check
smaller shops. Some stores what costs are involved, including
accept traveller’s cheques as insurance, and ensure that all the
How to Pay well, though a passport will paperwork is done correctly.
The rupee is accepted everywhere. be required for identification. International courier services (see
All the larger stores accept International currency, too, can p747) can also be approached to
major international credit cards, be used in certain places. If you ship out large purchases.
such as MasterCard and Visa, but are paying by credit card, ensure
that the voucher is filled out in Bargaining
front of you, to avoid fraud.
Value-Added Tax (VAT), up to A good way to get the best
15 per cent, is charged on some results when bargaining is to
items, unless the bill has been check out costs and quality at
paid in foreign currency or with a number of outlets. Usually, the
a foreign-based credit card. big stores have fixed prices with
no scope for bargaining, but
haggling in bazaars and smaller
Rights and Refunds shops can be quite rewarding.
When you are buying expensive Try not to quote unrealistically
items, such as carpets, jewellery low prices and miss out on a
or antiques, always insist on a good deal in the process.
receipt or cash memo. This is
important, in case damaged Touts
goods need to be returned or
exchanged, though often in India Handle touts firmly and try not
Flower-seller displaying garlands on a this is less easy than it sounds. to succumb to offers of genuine
pavement, Kolkata Refunds, too, are difficult. Take antiques or fantastic bargains.

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