Bidri
Bidri is the art of working metal. It is produced for major clients (emirs, art dealers, luxury hotels...) as well as for bazaars. Black metal objects are often inlaid with gold or silver, and their price can be very high, notably due to the cost of raw materials. Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) is a renowned bidri production center.
Jewelry
Indian tradition demands that both men and women adorn themselves with jewelry. Women's jewelry, in particular, is very elaborate, in gold or silver, depending on the means. Indians give jewels to their wives to embellish them, but it's also a way of investing their money. If the worst comes to the worst, you can always resell one. Every city, and even some villages, has a goldsmith's market. Jaipur is the gem capital of India. This is where stones are traded. The city is home to numerous jewelers, some of whom worked for the maharajas and their families. The national diamond exchange is located in Surat, Gujarat. Many diamonds come from Russia, but are cut and polished in Surat. But beware: fake stones are legion, both in Jaipur and in Surat. Unless you're a serious connoisseur, you should insist on a certificate of authenticity or have your stones authenticated before buying them, especially if they're valuable.
Tribal or antique jewelry is highly sought-after by Indians and tourists alike. They can be found in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and a few remote markets in Odisha.
Much less expensive, but still a prized Indian ornament, is the bindi: a small round or teardrop shape that women stick between their eyebrows. You'll find stickers in small bazaars selling make-up and beauty products for women.
Wood and lacquered wood
Meticulously turned, carved, inlaid or inlaid, wooden objects play an important role in Indian craftsmanship. The most precious are forged from sandalwood or rosewood. Anguri, takai and jali carvings, bronze, copper and ivory inlays adorn large and small pieces of furniture. Wedding chests and antique doors are highly sought-after. The towns of Saharanpur and Mainpur (Uttar Pradesh) are among India's conservatories of this craft. There are also production centers in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Kashmir, Punjab, Sikkim and Varanasi. Here too, you need to be careful what you buy. Antique fakes are widespread, as are teak or sandalwood objects carved from cheaper wood.
Embroidery and printing
Tribal areas, notably Kutchh in Gujarat, are important centers of traditional embroidery. The colorful designs vary from tribe to tribe, and form part of the clothing adornment. Women continue to embroider their trousseau, even if the wearing of folkloric outfits is becoming increasingly rare. The motifs, sometimes with mirror inlays, are repeated on blankets and cushion covers. You can stock up on beads, ribbons, braids, sequins, thread and buttons at Kinari Bazar in Old Delhi, one of the country's best-stocked specialty markets.
Jaipur is the national capital of pad printing. There are two variants, with very different styles: sanganeri and bagru. Fabrics are printed by hand, using wooden stamps dipped in dyes. The bagru style can be recognized by its intensive use of indigo and red. Sanganeri, on the other hand, favors floral motifs in often pastel shades.
Shoes
Rajasthan is famous for its juti, handmade slippers made of leather (for men) or fabric (for women). They are sometimes embroidered on top. A little stiff at first, they become increasingly comfortable the longer you wear them. Every major city in Rajasthan has its own juti store. And if you look in traditional villages like Bundi or Chauth ka Barwara, you're sure to come across a shoemaker at work.
Spices
Although most spices don't grow in the northern latitudes of India, they're found in every market, as they're indispensable in the kitchen. In the north, the main spices used are turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin (seeds or powder) and coriander powder. Pepper is also available in Assam.
Miniature painting
This art, inherited from the Mughal period, is still very much alive, particularly in Rajasthan. These wonderfully detailed paintings evoke the life of Mughal princes in their sumptuous palaces. The style is sometimes hijacked for meticulous naturalistic representations. Bikaner, Bundi and Udaipur are all home to renowned artists. Prices vary according to the size of the work and the number of years the artist has been practicing. The apprenticeship is long.
Stones and inlays
Religious statuary is often crafted in stone: marble, sandstone, granite. The infinite Hindu pantheon provides a livelihood for many stone carvers, and some villages, such as Gola ka Bas in Rajasthan, specialize almost entirely in this craft. Agra perpetuates the art of marble cutting and inlaying, of which the Taj Mahal is the most beautiful emblem. In the old town, many craftsmen offer tourists miniatures of the mausoleum. Some lineages of craftsmen are so old that they date back to the Mughal period and the construction of the Taj Mahal. Vrindavan's reputation is based on the production of alabaster objects inlaid with... synthetic stones.
Pottery
Almost every village still has a potter. Matkas, those big bulging bottles, are used to store fresh water. Every household has one, and they are often seen at the entrance to dhabas, the roadside restaurants. Some potters are specialized and produce religious figurines, bowls for drinking tea or burning oil for Diwali, pipes, etc., in series. Some are painted or glazed after firing. Khurja (Uttar Pradesh) is a center renowned for its colorful pottery. The state of Uttar Pradesh is also known for its production of black pottery. Jaipur perpetuates the tradition of blue-glazed pottery, an art that originated in Asia Minor. The Bastar region (Chhattisgarh) produces highly sought-after animal figurines in clay.
Ayurvedic products
Ayurveda is a traditional ancestral medicine based on the use of natural products. Beyond the medical aspect, which requires a real science, you can bring back and use elements of ayurveda in beauty products. These include aloe vera, with its calming, moisturizing and restorative properties; turmeric, with its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antioxidant properties; mustard oil, mixed with another vegetable oil, which has a moisturizing, toning and firming action, and so on. You'll find shampoos, creams, soaps and toothpastes in specialized stores. The Himalaya brand, widely distributed, is a safe bet.
Carpets
Kashmir is the only region in India where carpets are handcrafted. Made of silk, wool or a mixture of both, they come in a wide variety of patterns and shimmering colors. Prices vary according to the number of knots. The more knots, the more expensive the carpet, but the more resistant it is.
South of Jodhpur, durry craftsmanship is hard to resist. These colorful carpets are woven on handlooms and not knotted. Both sides are therefore identical. Most often made of cotton, they are also available in coir, wool or camel wool. For the latter, sizes are small, as camel wool is very heavy. You can visit the Pukhraj Durry Udyog cooperative in the village of Salawas, which guarantees hand-made pieces.
Tea
Do we still need to promote Darjeeling tea? This locality in the Himalayan foothills of West Bengal produces 10,000 tonnes of tea a year from its 17,500 hectares of plantations. The black tea produced here is sometimes referred to as the "champagne of teas", due to its delicate taste, tinged with characteristic floral and spicy notes. Assam also produces a delicious black tea, with a full-bodied, spicy aroma. The plantations are located along the Brahmaputra River, around the town of Johrat. The tea leaves are picked by hand, exclusively by women.
Fabrics
Hand weaving is still very much alive in rural India. Didn't Gandhi want every household to have its own loom? It was a way of ensuring a livelihood for the poorest. From silks to cottons, many regions have their own specialties. Varanasi is the silk capital. Its reputation is such that all brides-to-be in the country who can afford it dream of buying their ceremonial sari here. Odisha is also a center of silk production. Ikat is the specialty of many villages along the Mahanadi River in the Cuttack district. Assam is also renowned for its wild silk. Cotton is the preserve of West Bengal, particularly in the small villages north of Kolkata. In Bihar, Bhagalpur has earned the nickname " Handloom City ", with 25,000 looms weaving linen and cotton. In Madhya Pradesh, Maheshwar's saris are unrivalled for their finesse and lightness. Chanderi is a production center that has given its name to a style of silk.
Wool weaving is practiced in the mountainous Himalayas. This is where you'll find beautiful stoles and scarves made from pashmina, a Kashmiri goat.
