Shopping in Gujarat

Gujarat-With its busy modern textile works it’s not surprising that Gujarat has a number of interesting buys in this line. At the top end of this field there are the extremely fine, and often extremely expensive, Patola silk saris still made by a handful of master craftsmen in Patan. From Surat comes the zari or gold thread embroidery work.

Surat is also a centre for silk saris. At a more mundane, but still beautiful, level there are the block prints of Ahmedabad where you will also find hand painted cloths in the traditional black, red, maroon and ochre colours.

Look for them at Madhupura Rani-no-Hajiro on Mirzapur Rd, near the Ahmedabad GPO. Jamnagar is famous for its tie-dye work which you’ll find in the bazaar shops in Jamnagar and other centres in Saurashtra.

Brightly coloured peasant embroideries and bead work are also found in Saurashtra, along with woollen shawls, blankets and rugs while brass covered wooden chests are manufactured in Bhavnagar. In Kutch embroidered stuffed toys are made.

Finally in Ahmedabad there are antique shops with wooden carvings such as window frames, shutters or doorways from old houses. In Ahmedabad you’ll find most Gujarati handicrafts displayed at Handloom House or Gurjari, both on Ashram Rd.