Shopping in Tamil Nadu
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A
Green Shop
The Keystone Foundation runs the Green Shop, which sells honey and organic produce harvested by local and indigenous farmers.
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Traditional Traders in George Town
George Town, the area that grew around the Fort, retains much of its original flavour. This is the wholesale centre of Chennai. Many backstreets, bordered by NSC Bose Rd, Krishna Koil St, Mint St and Rajaji Salai, are entirely given over to selling one particular type of merchandise as they have for hundreds of years - paper goods in Anderson St, fireworks in Badrian St and so on.
Even if you're not in the market for anything, wander the mazelike streets to see another aspect of Indian life flowing seamlessly from the past into the present.
reviewed
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B
Puthu Mandapam
Madurai teems with cloth stalls and tailors' shops. A great place for getting cottons and printed fabrics is Puthu Mandapam, the pillared former entrance hall at the eastern side of Sri Meenakshi Temple. Here you'll find rows of tailors, all busily treadling away and capable of whipping up a good replica of whatever you're wearing in an hour or two. Quality, designs and prices vary greatly depending on the material and complexity of the design, but you can have a shirt made up for around Rs150.
reviewed
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C
Commercial Rd
Ooty can be a fun place to shop, but don't expect anything out of the ordinary. The main places to shop are along Commercial Rd where you'll find Kashmiri shops as well as government outlets for Kairali and Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan.
There's no need to lug warm clothes up to Ooty - you can pick up jackets from Rs100 and hats and gloves from Rs10 at shops along Commercial Rd near the bus stand.
reviewed
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D
Poompuhar Handicrafts Emporium
Mamallapuram wakes each day to the sound of sculptors' chisels on granite. You can browse hassle-free and buy from the fixed-price Poompuhar Handicrafts Emporium or from the craft shops that line the main roads (prices negotiable). Sculptures range from Rs 300 (for a small piece to fit in your baggage) to Rs 400,000 for a massive Ganesh that needs to be lifted with a mobile crane.
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Poompuhar
Thanjavur is a good place to shop for handicrafts and arts, especially around the palace. Numerous shops along Gandhiji Rd sell everything from quality crafts and ready-made clothes to inexpensive kitsch. For fixed prices and hassle-free shopping, try Poompuhar.
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Cottage Crafts
Run by the voluntary organisation Coordinating Council for Social Concerns in Kodai (Corsock), here you’ll find goods crafted by disadvantaged groups, with about 80% of the purchase price returns to the craftspeople. There’s also a second branch on PT Rd.
reviewed
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West Veli St
The fixed-price government shops are conveniently located together in West Veli St, including Poompuhar, Kerala Handicrafts and Khadi Bhavan (khadi is the homespun cloth made famous by Gandhi's decision, taken in Madurai, to wear it).
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E
Fabindia
This shop has a good variety of quality woven goods and furnishings, traditionally made but with a contemporary feel. In operation since 1960, one of its selling points is its ‘fair, equitable and helpful relationship’ with village producers.
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F
North Chitrai St
Every tout, driver, temple guide and tailor's brother will lead you to the Kashmiri craft shops in North Chitrai St, offering to show you the temple view from the rooftop - the views are good, and so is the inevitable sales pitch.
reviewed
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G
Tibetan Market
There's no need to lug warm clothes up to Ooty - you can pick up jackets from Rs100 and hats and gloves from Rs10 along Commercial road and at the Tibetan Market almost opposite the entrance to the Botanical Gardens.
reviewed
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H
Geethanjali
The sort of place where Indiana Jones gets the sweats, this antique and curio shop sells statues, sculptures, paintings and furniture culled from Puducherry’s colonial, and even pre-colonial history.
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I
Lakshmi Tailor
Mamallapuram wakes to the sound of sculptors’ chisels on granite. There are lots of good art galleries, tailors and antique shops here. For clothes, we recommend Lakshmi Tailor.
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J
JK Bookshop
A small bookshop where you can buy or swap books in several languages, including English, French and German. Proceeds support village schools established by the owner.
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K
La Boutique d’Auroville
It’s fun browsing through the crafts here, including jewellery, batiks, kalamkari (similar to batik) drawings, carpets and woodcarvings.
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L
Grinde Sridharan General Merchants
An excellent, long-established grocery store with plenty of imported goods and an exchange facility for cash and travellers cheques.
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M
Naturally Auroville
Objets (pottery, bedspreads, scented candles) and fine foods (organic coffees, breads and cheeses) from Auroville.
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Victoria Technical Institute
Most of the revenue from the high-quality crafts here goes directly to the artisans; some of the rest goes to charity.
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O
Shoppers Shop
Shoppers Shop is a well-stocked grocery store which also includes a good selection of Western foods.
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Anokhi
Hand-block-printed clothes with which all the women we know are obsessed. Have iced tea afterwards at EcoCafé .
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Q
Nilgiri Supermarket
A well-stocked, modern place in which to shop for groceries in air-conditioned comfort. Credit cards are accepted.
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R
Turning Point Books
A 4th-floor bookshop opposite New College with a good selection, especially the shelves on Indian religion.
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Southern Arts and Crafts
An expensive but beautiful curios culled from local homes at Southern Arts and Crafts.
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Malligai Book Centre
Opposite the train station; the left-hand side has a decent selection of English-language titles.
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U
Focus Books
Focus Books; Excellent selection of books, especially contemporary Indian writing, and postcards.
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