SHOPPING IN KASHMIR Location : Main Markets, Floating Markets, Open Bazaars, Old City Antique Items : Pashmina and Shahtoosh Shawls Famous Buy : Walnut Furniture Other Charms : Handicrafts

Kashmir the Shopper's Emporium

Love shopping, then shopping in Kashmir is the best option for you to try out. The famous bazaars of Srinagar in Kashmir offer a great deal to the travelers for buying the famous hand woven carpets demanded all over the world, rugs or walnut furniture, Kashmiri embroidery from the famous shopping destinations and whole sale markets of Jammu and Kashmir. The warmth of Pashmina shawls and Saffron spice the real flavor of Kashmir, the ambrosial fruits and even the intricately carved handicraft items are the best buys on your visit in the valley of Kashmir.

Srinagar Jammu

Gulmarg Leh

Getting There

Jammu and Kashmir is known throughout the world as much for its arts and crafts as for its scenic beauty and bracing climate. Kashmir is integral in its entity. From the amusing trinket to a collector's item, you'll find it all, here. Row upon row of shops filled with handicrafts line the streets. The array is awesome. There are objects to suit every pocket, as the variety within each craft is wide.

If you are planning to be a part of Kashmir this vacation, then do not forget to embark upon your shopping expedition from the very essence of Kashmir, which is Saffron. Your trip will surely be incomplete if you are not the owner of the mesmerizing hand woven carpets. Adorn the floors of your house with the 'Nawadas'. The Pashmina and Shahtoosh shawls are a must buy in Kashmir. No where will else will you get the majestic fabric in accordance with the incomprehensible embroidery. Kashmir is home to some of the best walnut woodcarving done anywhere in the world. The silk manufactured in Kashmir is also of very superior quality. Kashmir is an ideal destination from the prospective of shopping. Being a frugal while you are in Kashmir will make you repent, so shop your heart and pocket out because there is no other Kashmir on the planet.

Adorn Your Floor With The Hand Woven Kashmiri Carpet

To watch a carpet being made in Kashmir is didactic. The carpets made in Kashmir are renowned for being handmade and are always knotted, never tufted. Carpet is a long term investment, and will perhaps be the most expensive purchase. But, it is worth it. The thing to keep in mind is that knotting is the most important procedure of carpet making. Besides being instrumental for the designs, it also determines its enduringness and value. In addition, there are single as well as double knotted carpets. They can be easily distinguished by scrutinizing the reverse of the carpet.

Around Your Arms The Warmth of Pashmina Shawls

You will do injustice with your own self if you do not own the exclusive Kashmiri Shawls. Kashmir is a hub for woolen clothing. The three varieties of shawls produced in Kashmir are 'wool', 'Pashmina' and 'Shatoosh'. The prices of the three cannot be compared. While woolen shawls are prices modestly, Shahtoosh is one-in-a-lifetime purchase. Pashmina is unmistakable for its softness. Pashmina yarn is spun from the hair of the ibex found at 14,000 ft above the sea level, although pure Pashmina is expensive, the cost is sometimes brought down by blending it with rabbit fur or with wool. 'Shatoosh', the legendary ‘ring shawl’ is incredible for its lightness, softness and warmth. The astronomical price it commands in the market is due to the scarcity of raw-material. The hair shed from the underbelly of the Tibetan antelope, found only in the high plateau of Tibet and Ladakh, are fastidiously collected until they are enough for a shawl. They are then spun into a yarn, which is extremely expensive. They are too delicate and flimsy for embroidery to be done on them.

Relish Your Delicacies With Saffron The Flavor of Kashmir

Besides Spain, Pampore in Srinagar, is the only place in the world where saffron in cultivated. The crocus Sativus that blooms for a brief month in the year, has six golden stamens and one crimson one. It is the crimson Stamen which when collected and dried, is referred to as the most expensive spice in the world. However, be wary of the fraudulent Saffron, that too is, available in the markets. Though sealed jars with the government's stamp approval is available, if you are buying the loose saffron, then sampling one strand is enough, for its delectable aroma is unequivocal. Kashmir is also a hub for walnuts, honey and Almonds.

Take Home The Exotic Walnut Furniture

Kashmir is the only part of India where the walnut tree grows. Carving is the demonstration of the carver’s skill, and walnut, being one of the strongest varieties of wood, is eminently suitable for this. There are several varieties of carvings done on the wood, the most popular being the semi carving, which is a thin panel along the rim of the surface, with a center motif. The intrinsic work of the wood from each part of the tree differs. The root being the most expensive while the branches being the least. The furniture made from this wood is of very superior quality and the intrinsic design is sure to delight you. In-spite of its exotic designs, deep carvings and the immense craftsmanship involved, the prices are not absorbent

.

Handicrafts That Holds in Your Memory

The old city abounds with shops where objects of copper line the walls, the floor and even the ceiling made generally for the local market. Floral, stylized, geometric, leaf and sometimes-calligraphic motifs are engraved or embossed on copper, called as 'naqash' determines the price of the object. Kashmir is also home for quixotic wood carving and paper mache articles. Kashmiri crewelwork, which is a high quality of embroidery, is in great demand all over the world. Wool is almost invariably used in Crewel work and color ways are not as elaborate as in Chain stitch. They make excellent household furnishings being hand or machine washable. Willow rushes that grow plentifully in the marshes provide an excellent rudiment for quaint objects, ranging form pretty baskets to lampshades to table and chairs. The point worth noticing is that these articles are quite inexpensive and caters to all spectrum of people.

The Traditional Dress of The Paradise

Pheran, the garment worn by the natives of Kashmir, is a traditional dress like a cloak or a coat, covering from top to the bottom, made according to the extreme weather conditions on the top Himalayan zones. Men wear Pherans made of tweed or coarse wool while the women's Pheran is more stylised and made of raffels which is embodied at the throat, cuffs and edges. To have the real feel of Kashmir, must shop for this traditional dress and ethnic silver jewellery that makes a complete Kashmiri Bride.