Travel India

Mumbai is among the best shopping centers in all of India. It offers the shopper everything from modern, air-conditioned department stores to traditional bazaars and open-air, roadside stalls. Most modern shops, where prices are fixed, accept credit cards. In private handicraft shops, antique and curio shops, and on the street, prices are usually negotiable, and bargaining is part of the shopping experience.

As a major textile and fashion center, Mumbai is known for its fabrics and clothes. Boutiques at Kemp’s Corner sell trendy western-style designer clothes though more traditional Indian clothes and fabrics may be found at Mangaldas Market in Kalbadevi, the nearby Mulji Jetha Market, and along M. Karve Road north of Churchgate Station.

Other shopping areas are Crawford Market (fruits and vegetables), Zhaveri Bazaar (jewelry), and Chor Bazaar (”Thieves’ Market”), where everything from used car parts to furniture can be bought. Stalls along Colaba causeway sell handicrafts, watches, perfumes, clothes, jewelry, and leather goods. Many luxury hotels, such as the Oberoi and Taj Mahal, have exclusive (and exclusively priced) shops while a variety of traditional handicrafts can be purchased at government emporiums, such as those found in the World Trade Centre Arcade in Cuffe Parade.

There is a large amount of Indian furniture for sale in Mumbai, both at dealers and in the bazaars. Caveat emptor is very much the rule and the age or worth of purchases cannot be guaranteed; visitors should trust to luck and their eye, haggle fiercely and hope to be rewarded with an exceptional bargain. Likewise, Mumbai is a major centre of the diamond trade and for those with strong nerves and long pockets, who know what they are doing, it is possible to pick great bargains. For inexpensive yet attractive wooden and other presents, the Central Cottage Industries Emporium, Shivaji Marg, between Apollo Bunder and Regal, is open Monday-Saturday 1000-1900.

For those who like to shop in comfort, the Oberoi and Taj Hotels both boast air-conditioned shopping malls with an interesting range of boutiques. No trip to Mumbai is complete, however, without a visit to the bazaars: Chor Bazaar, Mutton Street, near Sir JJ Road, for bric-a-brac, furniture and junk, Zaveri Bazaar, off Abdul Rahman Street, for jewellery, Dhaboo Street Bazaar, Dhaboo Street, for leather goods and Crawford Market, Dr D Navroji Road/Carnac Road, for fruit and vegetables. Markets are generally open from 0900-1900. In most shops and bazaars, bargaining is the norm, particularly for more expensive items.