By Gauri Rajput
Street shopping is becoming stronger these days. People who dont get ”Enough” fashion at their High end brands ought to get on the streets by simply exploring. And I swear, you will get better stuff than what is found in lavish stores. Many people think that it is not classy to shop on the streets as it is in the showrooms. But what I say as a youngster should also be digested.
What say in our Hindi language “AZMAA KE TO DEKHIE JANNAB, AAPKO PATA LAGEGA” and here I share with you my interesting thoughts as well. I had been searching for some funky neck pieces online. I tried all the brands, the online stores but the price tag was heavy for my pocket. I needed something for one time use. And abracadabra… here I went to checkout Janpath and I got that jewellery in only INR 150. That sounds weird but interesting. The cost was above 600 online and I really couldn’t spare my money over it. Lots more interesting things are found on the streets.
Take a look at the top 5 STREET markets in New Delhi:
JANPATH
One may not be able to describe much about Janpath Market unless you experience it yourself. This is the main market of Delhi and it attracts large number of tourists. Shopping in this market is crazy fun. The alternative name of the Janpath Market is People’s Path. This street is having hundreds of shops which are selling products of different quality. Garments, jewellery, gift items, carpets and much more are available in this market. One thing that the customer must remember while shopping in this market is BARGAIN. Get him down to half the rate quoted.
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Ethnic dresses
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Daily-wear Clothing (right from skirts to jeans to t-shirts and so on)
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Junk Jewelry
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Silver Jewelry
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Leather Footwear (Jutis, Mojris, Kohlapuris, etc)
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Embellished Linen
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Cotton Garments
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Rajasthan vegetable color paintings
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Imitation Jewelry
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Indian artifacts and Carpets
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CDs and DVDs
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Furniture
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Decorative Items
SAROJINI NAGAR
If you are a Delhite, I am sure you must have visited this market or else atleast must have heard your friends boasting about their cool finds from Sarojini at throw away prices.The items that are easily available at cheap prices are export-quality clothing and rejects. The market is shut every Monday. Few of the major and renowned shops that are located in the central market are Cake n pastry shop, Mohan Restaurant, Paradise Sarees, Grover Furniture, Capri store and Atta Chakki.
KAMLA NAGAR
Kamla Nagar is surrounded by University of Delhi’s North campus and Kamla Nehru Ridge Forest on the East, Roop Nagar in North, Shakti Nagar on the West and Malka Ganj in South. It is famous for popular fashion brands and spicy street food. The roads, spreading out radially from a huge roundabout house several showrooms. The lower floors of the market house retail stores and restaurants while most of the upper storeys are residential quarters. A number of booksellers and publishers have their offices in this market especially on the Bungalow Road. You may check out a few showrooms on Bada Gol Chakkar and Chhota Gol Chakkar. The McDonald’s and Domino outlets here are a big attraction for the young regulars. Kamla Nagar market is closed on Mondays.
LAJPAT NAGAR
Lajpat Nagar is a popular shopping area where you can get whatever you desire – accessories, clothes, footwear, bags, etc. The garments at Hakoba range from saris and salwar kameezes for women to kurtas and kurtis for both men and women. The Lucknowi embroidery, which is mostly done in white-coloured threads, is breathtaking and of very high quality. Karan & Nasir have been revolutionizing the way men dress. RCKC has carved a niche for itself in the international market with labels like Anamika and RISA by Abhijeet Khanna.
A brainchild of Saurabh Mehta, Samaira boasts a wide variety of designs that define femininity with simple styles. Apart from fashion stores, there are furnishing stores and decor houses to beautify your homes. There are huge glittering showrooms as well as roadside stalls. The mehndiwallahs (appliers of henna) are very famous. Bargaining is a must if you wish to get the best of this market. It remains closed on Mondays.
DILLI HAAT.
The DILLI HAAT provides the ambience of a traditional Rural Haat or village market, but one suited for more contemporary needs. Here one sees a synthesis of crafts, food and cultural activity. While the village haat is a mobile, flexible arrangement, here it is crafts persons who are mobile. The DILLI HAAT boasts of craft stalls selling native, utilitarian and ethnic products from all over the country. DILLI HAAT is not just a market place; it has been visualized as a showpiece of traditional Indian culture- a forum where rural life and folk art are brought closer to an urban clientele.
It is here that the crafts persons find an opportunity to demonstrate their artistic skills to thousands of visitors everyday.
