Shopping in India

It had been a while since I was back in India and I had a definite plan about what I wanted to get. I did know that I had to be flexible to stop and investigate the hidden gems that I came across, and being too rigid would not help. My list of things was (in my opinion) minimal. I had to stock up on a couple of dresses, a Kashmiri carpet and a couple of shawls for my friends and colleagues. I also decided, time permitting, I would scout around for handicrafts and home accessories. Since I had close family in Madras who could direct me and relatively more time, I decided that I would finish my shopping in Madras and just explore a bit in Bangalore.
Since we had a short time to ourselves, my sister and I hit Spencer's Plaza on Mount Road to look for clothing. We lucked on a trendy, ethnic boutique aptly named Ethnica. The young lady who runs the store was very knowledgeable and helpful in pointing us towards the latest trends and in helping us pick beautiful outfits. I managed to buy two suits which were gorgeous but completely different in their styles. My sister picked up a very trendy kurthi and a more traditional suit. The store was able to alter our clothes so we had some custom-fit clothing in an hour and a half. I also lucked out in finding beautiful shawls in jewel-like tones with some lovely embroidery on them. My friends were thrilled with them and I kept one of them for myself.
We then browsed around Spencer Plaza and dropped into Landmarks and Music India for some music CDs. We then chanced on a reasonably ok ethnic Jewelery store -Uttarika. Some of the items were pretty reasonable and the quality and choice definitely better than most options we have in the US.
The carpet buying was a bit more serious and I had done some legwork in determining the type of carpet i wanted and the store I was going to buy it from. The preliminary legwork was completed by my husband on a trip earlier this year, under my father's guidance. So this time all we had to do was go to the store and choose the carpet we wanted. We found some beautiful pieces at Oriental Carpet on Mount Road and finally settled on a carpet in an old pattern called a purdah or charbagh. Unlike the heavily patterned of floral pieces, this was a simple pattern that was similar to the traditional Mughal gardens, which are laid out symmetrically. The motifs were more representative than literal. In addition to carpets, the store had some beautiful handicrafts and antique furniture. The next time I need some furniture, it is definitely an option to consider. The pieces were well-made, antique teak pieces with a period flair. Shipping, we learned, was no longer prohibitively expensive so it was definitely doable for a one-of a kind piece, or two. There were still a few stores I wanted to visit including Kalpadruma, which I heard is good for handicrafts. But I guess that it is a good thing to look forward to on my next trip.