Top 5 Places to Go Shopping in Kolkata:
Shopping in Kolkata can be great fun as the city is filled with markets and malls bursting with interesting goods. Popular purchases include saris, handicrafts, and terracotta items. If you bargain well, you'll get some great deals. Check out these places.
1. New Market :
New Market, also known as Hogg's Market, is Kolkata's oldest and most well known market. It's got over 2,000 stalls and is a bargain hunter's delight. Head to the reconstructed section of the market, which got rebuilt after a fire in 1985, if you want to buy saris. You'll find plenty to choose from there. In the evenings, street vendors come to sell cheap jewelry and eye catching bags out the front of the market. Just be prepared for the crowds!
- Location: Lindsay Street, just off Chowringhee Road.
- Opening Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday, and until
2. Dakshinapan Shopping Center :
- Location: Ghariahat Road in Dhakuria, near the flyover (overpass).
- Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 7.30 p.m., and Mondays after 2 p.m. Closed on Sunday.
3. Oxford Bookstore :
- Anyone who loves books shouldn't miss visiting Oxford Bookstore. Without a doubt, its the best place to shop for books in Kolkata, and you can relax and unwind in there as well. It has a number of specialist book sections, including a separate space especially for children. As well as books you'll also find a tea bar, gift shop, reading room, and exhibition space.
- Location: Park Street, next to the entrance to the Park Hotel.
- Opening Hours: Daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
4. The Forum Mall :
The Forum was almost completed as an office tower before being converted into Kolkata's first shopping mall. If you've got money to spend, you'll love the appealing range of upmarket shops it houses over six floors. It's all about fashion at the Forum, and there are so many beautiful clothes, accessories, and shoes to choose from. Check out Music World for a wide range of music, including classical styles. The Forum also houses a cinema, bar, and one of Kolkata's best restaurants called "Oh! Calcutta".- Location: 10/3 Elgin Road, Lala Lajpat Rai Sarani.
- Opening Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays. Closed Sunday.
5. Chowringhee Road :
- A huge variety of pavement vendors line Chowringhee Road from Park Street to New Market, selling everything bizarre to tacky. However, if you look through all the junk, you'll find some wonderful terracotta wares, which are a Kolkata specialty. The decorative terracotta wall plaques are particularly attractive and come in some unique traditional designs.
- Location: Chowringhee Road, near the Oberoi Grand Hotel
- Opening Hours: Street vendors set up mostly towards the evening but other shops are open during the day. Many are closed on Sunday.
This open air shopping center is a little out of the way, but it's an excellent place to buy Indian handicrafts and artifacts. You'll find many Indian state government emporiums there, stocked with fixed price goods from all over the country. It's also the place to buy cheap Indian clothing. Tea enthusiasts must stop by the renowned Dolly's Tea Shop. This small but enticingly decorated boutique tea shop has 20 different fruit flavors of tea to choose from, as well as refreshing fruit infused iced teas. You can even buy attractively packaged gifts.
