Situated in the north of India, Delhi has developed rapidly over the last five years, merging the modernization of New Delhi, the country’s capital, with the ancient and historical Old Delhi. Literally having the best of both worlds, Delhi offers to be urban without forgetting its intriguing past.

One of the major events on my trip to Delhi was indeed, shopping. Not really at the top of the list as one of the major shopping hot spots around the world as opposed to Hong Kong and Singapore, it was a pleasant surprise to learn how many things I could purchase for so little!

Shopping in Delhi is a lot like shopping in the street markets of Malaysia and Thailand: bargaining is a must. An amateur in this business, I slowly got the hang of things and in the end had more fun bargaining than buying! The friendly Indian locals fluent in English make shopping even more enjoyable.

The most important thing was to find out the currency exchange rate, between the Indian Rupees(Rs.) and Malaysian Ringgit(RM). I equated my currency with RM8 = Rs.100.

Dilli Haat

Picture courtesy of Denise

An interesting market of sorts in New Delhi, Dilli Haat is where locals from all over India market their goods and stay for only three months, at whence a different group of traders take over.

All types of handicraft, material, jewelry, artwork and food can be found in this fascinating market. It was here that I bought a very beautiful red pashmina scarf for Rs. 550, about RM44. A little pricey for a gift, but for my mother, why not?

Picture courtesy of Denise

Attracted to the jewellery, I bought two necklaces, those funky beaded ones that are in fashion now, for Rs.200. This was my first attempt at bargaining, managing to discount Rs.20 from the original price.

Picture courtesy of Denise

Also, the shoes are hard to ignore. Flip flops, similar to the ones in KL were much cheaper even with sequins and beads. And the Aladdin shoes, as I call them, were too pretty to resist. It felt great to see even the locals wearing those Aladdin shoes. Two pairs for Rs.400.

Picture courtesy of Denise

Picture courtesy of Denise

A place where the locals shop, which means cheap! A market similar to the night markets in KL, except it was open at daytime. From bags to shoes to nick nacks to sari cloth, this is the place to be thrifty. Beautiful saris and salwa khamis’ can be bought at Rs.500, and they’re open to negotiation. Even if you don’t buy anything, watching the people is enough to feel satisfied.

Picture courtesy of icsc

Slightly more upscale, Khan Market is the place for the brand-conscious. Benetton, Levi’s, Nike and Reebok are just a few that have opened for business in the area. Certainly a breath of fresh air when having to walk into these shops one by one, compared to shopping centres.

But what were too cheap to believe were the books. The bookstores were just the way I like them: old, dusty, cramped and filled with books. Prepare to glance once, twice or even thrice in disbelief at the book prices, where Rs. 195, less than RM16, is not an uncommon sight. I got myself The Alchemist for Rs.195, Anna Karenina and War and Peace for Rs.295 EACH. Imagine, books not even touching the RM30 mark!

Picture courtesy of Denise

Connought Place

Picture courtesy of Denise

One of the most interesting places to shop, Connought Place covers a huge area with a variety of goods. It was fittingly one of my last stops to shop, as I could spend all the Rupees left in my pocket.

Intrigued by the lovely tops on sale, I walked into one store. It was the most tiring bargain of all my buys, as I threatened to walk out of the store three times before settling on a deal. Just one of those bargaining tactics I learnt. In the end, I managed to get three tops for Rs.600. Not bad, considering the initial price was Rs.750 and the proprietor’s stubbornness.

Picture courtesy of Denise

Not to let the men feel left out, I bought two Nehru collared shirts for Rs.175, and bargaining was not allowed. Pretty good deal anyhow, as one shirt was less than RM16.

Picture courtesy of Denise
There were colourful bags on display and when I saw one sign saying Rs.100 for one bag, I jumped. They were too gorgeous and cheap not to buy!

Picture courtesy of Denise

Initially not interested to buy earrings, I caved in when I saw how attractive the earrings were, and how Indian they were with their bright colours. I bought two pairs for Rs.120, and then a bracelet for Rs.75.

I was not interested to buy the bracelet, but the man kept insisting he would give me a good price even after I really implied I did not want it numerous times. He even said he would settle for my price, which to my glee was only Rs.75.

No trip to India would be complete without a visit to the Taj Mahal, and what better way to end my trip than to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Truly an awe-inspiring experience.

Picture courtesy of Denise

Inspired by Shah Jahan’s greatness, I bought an attractive hand painting of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz, to give away to a soon-to-be-wed friend. Despite being a little over budget for this present, I had to buy it because it was too beautiful to pass up. It cost me Rs.700, my most expensive buy in India.

Despite only being on Indian soil for three days, the trip was such an eye-opener and one of a kind, I had a blast. I spent about RM400+ shopping, which was great since I got to buy so many things. The next time you plan a shopping trip, remember India because you get a good dose of rich history and retail therapy. History lessons and shopping: now that’s a new one.

Last 5 posts by Denise Chin

• A Whole New World - January 3rd, 2008
• The Local Tourist - November 22nd, 2007
• The Ghost of Halloween Past - October 27th, 2007
• The Young and the Not So Restless - September 14th, 2007
• For the Love of Money - September 1st, 2007