Shopping in Pushkar

Shopping in Pushkar, While Pushkar is famous for lakes, hills and temples, it doesn't disappoint the shopaholic too. Shopping in Pushkar can be a wonderful experience as there are many glittering shopping markets. They are filled with souvenirs shops and one can buy many local items there.
Tourists who come to visit Pushkar simply can’t resist themselves to shop souvenirs for their friends and family. Particularly good buys include costume jewellery, glass lamps, embroidered fabrics such as wall hangings and shoulder bags, Rajasthani puppets and traditional music. Rajasthani ‘Bandhini’ or ‘tie n die’ clothes are famous everywhere for its rich and colourful patterns. Similarly the jewelry especially anklets, Nathini and rings are also quite popular and must shop items. You can buy these items from the Sarafa Bazaar, Bada Bazaar or Kedalganj Bazaar. Much of the stock comes from Barmer district south of Jaisalmer and other tribal areas of Rajasthan.

Leather Goods
You can find Kashmiri styled leather goods here. Top leather articles to buy are belts, purses, bags and others. Genuine leather products are quite common in Pushkar, so is the fake ones. Make sure to learn how to differentiate between good and fake leather before you put your money into it.

Garments
If you are looking for garments in a mixture of hippie and ethnic style, Pushkar is the right place to visit. Starting from bandanas to shirts, you can find all kinds of clothing here.

Rose Products
Rose is one of the important exports of Pushkar. It is not practically possible to buy rose if you are travelling very long. However, you can buy rose based products here, for long-term use. You can find rose oil, perfumes, essential oils, gulkand, sherbet, rose water, cosmetic items and others.

Handicraft Items
Pushkar is very famous for handicraft items made from wood, stone, enamel, ivory and others. You can also find many pottery items, painting and others. There are also handicraft based fashion items like bags, accessories and others. Handmade paper, fragrance oil and incense sticks are the most common handicraft items to buy in Pushkar.

Silver Articles
Silver is quite common in Pushkar. Starting from antique articles and jewelry to modern items, you can find many silver and silver-based souvenir, accessory and décor items. Make sure to buy from reputed stores to avoid fake items.

Things to buy from Pushkar:

1. Rose Products
Pushkar gets its name from the blue lotus but it is the beautiful rose that the town is famous for. The town is home to several nurseries and a flourishing cottage industry of rose products. Rose products – such as rose water, rose oil, gulkand etc – therefore make for must-buy things from Pushkar. Pick a bottle or two of rose water from any shop in the town. Use it as a coolant, skin moisturizer, a toner…the benefits are many. It is even used in the kitchen as a flavouring agent. Also look for rose oil, which is used in soaps, perfumes, cosmetics, and also for flavouring soft drinks & alcoholic beverages. Another item you must buy is gulkand, a kind of preserve made by mixing rose petals and white sugar. Rich in calcium it is used to aid constipation, acidity, gastritis, ulcer, indigestion, hypertension, etc.

2. Incense Sticks
I am a big fan of incense and dhoop sticks for the aroma. There’s a huge variety of handmade incense available across markets in Pushkar. You’ll find a large variety at any one of the shops near the Brahma Temple. There are several handicrafts stores selling these too. I picked up some very good ones from the shop at Soni ji Ki Nasiyan in Ajmer near the dargah.

3. Silver Jewellery
The best souvenirs you can pick from Pushkar include silver jewellery and ornamental Rampuri daggers. You can get bespoke silver jewellery pieces; tourists usually get customized earrings and pendants with initials. You can find ornaments of various kinds including waistbands, hair pins, beads, etc. Did you know you can also find silver jewellery designing courses in this small town?

4. Textiles & Fabrics
Pushkar is an important centre for readymade garments, textiles and home furnishing items. Garments are exported to Singapore, Canada, USA and some European countries. Some of the popular shops include Shive Silk Emporium, Dilip Babu Textiles, and Volkart Fashions.

5. Leather Goods
Not even one place in entire India can match the quality and prices of leather goods in Pushkar. There are a number of families you can find in Pushkar who are engaged in this trade. Bags, belts, shoes, Purses, accessories etc made of genuine leather are available in a wide range of designs and at reasonable prices.

6. Handicrafts
Not just Pushkar, but entire Rajasthan is known for its handicrafts. There are many shops in Sadar Bazar where you can find handicrafts like block printed, tie and dye textiles, pottery, precious stones and what not.