KOLKATA SHOPPING

There are numerous interesting shops along Chowringhee Rd selling everything from carpets to handicrafts. The Central Cottage Industries Emporium at 7 Chowringhee Rd is quite good. The shops along the entrance arcade to the Oberoi Grand Hotel are interesting but not as entertaining as Chowringhee's amazing variety of pavement vendors who sell everything from water pistols to underwear to dancing dolls. Calcutta's administration is trying to move the street hawkers to underground markets in an attempt to clear the footpaths, but the unionised street merchants have so far resisted attempts to budge them.
Amid this melee are runners from other shops, particularly the New Market, looking for customers. Naturally, 'their' shop is only 'just round the corner', but this is rarely true. If you follow them, it's going to take up quite a bit of your time and the prices of the goods which you are invited to examine will be relatively high. After all, it's a long way back and a lot of wasted time for them to find another punter.

New Market, formerly Hogg Market, is Calcutta's premier place for bargain shopping. Here you can find a little of almost everything and it is always worth an hour so of wandering around. A particularly good bargain, if you're flying straight home from Calcutta, is caneware. This is ridiculously cheap compared to prices in the west and is, of course, very light if rather bulky.
Between Sudder St and New Market is an expensive air-con market. In the basement is City Express Supermarket offering fully computerised checkouts and at least one supermarket helper per customer, some even involved in product promotion!
There's another good street market along Lenin Sarani in the evenings. Down Sudder St or in the lanes running off both sides, those in search of highs derived from the plant kingdom are attended to by touts offering a range of services. Discretion is the key word.

List of Some Markets in Calcutta

Air Conditioned Market, Shakespeare Sarani
Clothes, novelties, artificial plants, jewellery, electronic household gadgets, watches etc.

Bagri Market, 71 Biplabi Rash Behari Bose Road, Calcutta 700001
Wholesale/Retail Market for Plastic Toys and other products, Stationery, Firecrackers, Diary Manufacturers, Electrical Goods and Appliances, Glassware, Moulded Luggage etc.

Bowbazar Market, 84A B B Ganguly Street
Wooden Furniture, Musical Instruments, Shoes, Jewellery., Seasonal Fruits.

Barabazar Market, Mahatma Gandhi Road
Wholesale/Retail Markets for textiles, cereals, food-grains, spices, dry fruits, edible oils, sugar, salt, groceries.

Chandni Market, 167/7 Lenin Sarani
Famous market for second hand goods and commodities. Also for electronic and hardware components, paints, clothiers, steel trunks/suitcases, audio housing/cabinets etc.

China Bazar, On Old China Bazar Street
Paper buntings, streamers, stationery, crockery, glassware, domestic goods, dusters etc.

College Street Market, 83 College Street
Product mix similar to Gariahat Market. Also known for its leather goods, shoes, musical instruments, books etc.

Dakshinapan Market, Near Dhakuria Flyover
Houses most of the government emporia. Known for its handlooms, textiles, handicrafts, cosmetic jewellery, fancy goods, object d'art, etc.

Dharamtalla Market, Starts from Esplanade Crossing eastwards
Woollen goods, hosiery, paper and allied products, stationery, musical instruments, leather and plastic goods, cutlery, firearms, etc.

Entally Market, 155 AJC Bose Road
Fish, fruits, vegetables, groceries, textiles, readymade garments and margarine.

Five Star & Fancy Market, Kidderpore
Famous for the wide variety of imported goods available. The ware includes electronics, household goods, glassware, clothes, shoes, canned food products, etc.

Gariahat Market, 212, 214, 216 Rash Behari Avenue
Fish, fruit, vegetables, groceries, textiles, readymade garments.

Jaggu Bazar, Asutosh Mukherjee Road
Vegetables, fish, meat, fruits, jewellery.

Kolay Market, Bowbazar, near Sealdah
Wholesale/retail vegetables, fish, milk and poultry products, jewellery, wooden furniture, plywood, plastic acrylic sheets, fruits etc.

Lansdowne Market, 65 Sarat Bose Road
Chiefly a vegetable market with a number of motor garages in the vicinity.

New Market, Lindsay Street
Calcutta's oldest and most renowned municipal market offers one of the widest ranges of goods. Recently, a new complex has been added on Bertram Street to house the partially burnt out section of the market. The market offers leather goods, plastic toys, fancy silverware, jewellery, garments, fabric, confectionery, clothing, dry fruits, poultry products, fish, meat, flowers etc.

Treasure Island, Madge Lane, opposite New Market
Air-conditioned, this market acts as an extension of New Market.

Park Centre, On Park Street
Stocks the same product mix as the AC Market besides decorative lampshades. Also seasonal vegetables and foodgrains.

Vardaan Shopping Complex, Camac Street
Air-conditioned market with an escalator. Ready-made novelties, watches and other consumer durables.

Shreeram Arcade, Opposite Lighthouse Cinema, near New Market
Calcutta's newest market with 275 glittering shops, modular glass lifts, sparkling fountains and piped music. Offers clothes, books, household items, among others.