Must-see shopping in Tamil Nadu

  • Nalli Silks

    Chennai (Madras)

    Set up in 1928, the enormous, supercolourful granddaddy of Chennai silk shops sparkles with wedding saris and rainbows of Kanchipuram silks, as well as…

  • Higginbothams

    Chennai (Madras)

    Open since 1844, this grand white building is reckoned to be India's oldest bookshop. It has a brilliant English-language selection, including travel and…

  • Fabindia

    Chennai (Madras)

    This fair-trade, nationwide chain sells stylishly contemporary village-made clothes and crafts. Perfect for picking up a kurta (long shirt with short/no…

  • Chamiers

    Chennai (Madras)

    On the ground floor of this popular cafe-and-boutique-complex, Anokhi has wonderful, East-meets-West, hand-block-printed clothes, bedding, bags and…

  • Fabindia

    Puducherry (Pondicherry)

    Going strong since 1960, the Fabindia chain stocks stunning handmade, fair-trade products made by villagers using traditional craft techniques, and…

  • Geethanjali

    Puducherry (Pondicherry)

    The kind of place where Indiana Jones gets the sweats, this antique shop sells sculptures, carved doors, wooden chests, paintings and furniture sourced…

  • Phoenix Market City

    Chennai (Madras)

    Chennai's newest, most luxurious shopping mall hosts all the big-name Indian and international brands and chains, from Chanel and Zara to Bata, Lifestyle,…

  • Amethyst

    Chennai (Madras)

    Hidden away in a revamped warehouse surrounded by tropical greenery, Amethyst stocks luxury Indian fashion with ultracolourful contemporary flair…

  • Green Shop

    Ooty (Udhagamandalam)

    Run by Kotagiri's Keystone Foundation, this fair-trade, organic-oriented shop sells gorgeous tribal crafts and clothes (including Toda embroidery), and…

  • Fabindia

    Chennai (Madras)

    Founded in support of traditional village crafts, the nationwide Fabindia chain stocks elegant textiles, fabrics, linens and clothes in all kinds of…

  • Fabindia

    Chennai (Madras)

    In a beautiful old building, this popular outpost of the fair-trade, India-wide Fabindia chain sells all the usual attractively contemporary, village-made…

  • Anokhi

    Puducherry (Pondicherry)

    A sophisticated Jaipur-born boutique popular for its beautiful, bold block-printed garments with a traditional-turns-modern twist, and gorgeous colourful…

  • LivingArt Lifestyles

    Puducherry (Pondicherry)

    Breezy, boho-chic, block-printed dresses, skirts, trousers and crop-tops in fun-but-fashionable geometric patterns (all handmade at Auroville) sit side-by…

  • Anokhi

    Chennai (Madras)

    Tucked inside the ever-popular Chamiers shopping-and-coffee complex, Anokhi deals in gorgeous, well-priced, East-meets-West, hand-block-printed clothes…

  • Amethyst Room

    Chennai (Madras)

    Elegant Amethyst Room brings a colourful upmarket twist to the Chamiers-complex shopping scene with its beautiful Indian-design couture.

  • Naturally Auroville

    Chennai (Madras)

    Colourful handicrafts and home-decor trinkets, including bedspreads, cushions, incense, scented candles and handmade-paper notebooks, all from Auroville,…

  • Fabindia

    Chennai (Madras)

    One of Chennai's bigger branches of this much-loved fair-trade fashion, accessories and homewares brand, a bit out of the way in the southeast of the city.

  • Re Shop

    Kodaikanal (Kodai)

    Stylish jewellery, fabrics, cards and more, at reasonable prices, made by and benefiting marginalised village women around Tamil Nadu.

  • Green Shop

    Coonoor

    Beautiful fair-trade local tribal crafts, clothes, fabrics and notebooks, plus organic wild honey, nuts, chocolates, soaps and teas.

  • La Boutique d’Auroville

    Puducherry (Pondicherry)

    Perfect for browsing through Auroville-made crafts: jewellery, pottery, clothing, shawls, handmade cards and herbal toiletries.

  • Green Shop

    The Western Ghats

    The ecofriendly Keystone Foundation's shop has goodies for picnics (local chocolates, wild honey) plus lovely tribal crafts.

  • Auroshikha

    Puducherry (Pondicherry)

    An endless array of incense, perfumed candles, essential oils and other scented trinkets, made by Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

  • K Mahaveer Chand

    Ooty (Udhagamandalam)

    K Mahaveer Chand has been selling particularly beautiful Toda tribal and silver jewellery for nearly 50 years.

  • Good Earth

    Chennai (Madras)

    For the ultimate in India-chic interior design, glitzy Good Earth has everything from scented candles, gorgeously embroidered bedspreads and floral…

  • Isha Life

    Chennai (Madras)

    Attached to the Isha Yoga Center and its healthy Yogi's Belly Cafe, this bohemian little boutique is full of wonderful handmade jewellery, organic soaps,…

  • Holi

    Puducherry (Pondicherry)

    Sprawling across an old Tamil house, Holi is a delightful, eclectic jumble of spruced-up vintage furniture, local artwork and Banjara embroidery. The…

  • Starmark

    Chennai (Madras)

    Reliable modern bookshop stocking English-, Indian- and Tamil-language fiction and nonfiction, kids' books, magazines, Lonely Planet guides and other…

  • Fabindia

    Chennai (Madras)

    This fair-trade, India-wide brand specialises in fashion, accessories and homewares made from fun-patterned Indian fabrics, including stylish kurtas,…

  • Starmark

    Chennai (Madras)

    Smart bookshop with an excellent collection of English, Indian and Tamil fiction and nonfiction, India travel books and Lonely Planet guides. Also at…

  • Spencer Plaza

    Chennai (Madras)

    India's oldest mall is significantly downmarket from Chennai's other shopping centres, but has many smaller, cheaper craft and souvenir shops. It feels a…

  • Janaki

    Puducherry (Pondicherry)

    High-end bazaar-chic fashion (with lots of organic cotton) graces the ground floor of this glitzy boutique; upstairs, you'll find wood-carved furniture…

  • Kumaran Silks

    Chennai (Madras)

    Housed in a beautiful building with an art deco facade and an interior of old-school wooden shelves, this is a classy place to browse saris (including …

  • Evoluzione

    Chennai (Madras)

    This sparkly high-end boutique showcases neotraditional creations by cutting-edge Indian designers. Great for browsing, even if your budget doesn't allow…

  • Hidesign

    Puducherry (Pondicherry)

    Established in Pondy in 1978, Hidesign sells elegantly made designer leather bags, briefcases, purses, wallets and belts, at reasonable prices, and has…

  • Express Avenue

    Chennai (Madras)

    This is one of Chennai's best and most central shopping malls, full of major international and Indian apparel chains. The top-floor food court is good for…

  • Poompuhar

    Chennai (Madras)

    This large branch of the fixed-price state-government handicrafts chain is good for everything from cheap technicolor plaster deities to a million-rupee…

  • Chamiers for Men

    Chennai (Madras)

    Linen clothes, leather footwear and smart accessories for men, on the top floor of this bustling cafe-boutique complex.

  • Kandiya Heritage

    Thanjavur (Tanjore)

    Opposite the palace, Kandiya Heritage sells antiques, reproduction bronzes, brightly painted wooden horses and dolls, old European pottery and jewellery.

  • Maroma

    Chennai (Madras)

    Quality candles, incense, perfumes, bags and beauty products, made by local village women in Auroville (near Puducherry), using eco-conscious techniques.

  • Fabindia

    Chennai (Madras)

    Attractively contemporary, village-made clothes and crafts from an eco-conscious nationwide chain; this is a small but decently stocked branch.

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