8 Souvenirs From India You Must Take Back

For those envious friends who are already getting green because you did not take them along on your trip, and for those colleagues at work who helped you get your targets finished on time to get the leaves approved, and finally for the lovely family members; you got to take back some choicest gifts for them all from your trip to India. And then, obviously, some souvenirs to keep for self too. While traveling to India, you can grab last minute flights to India also.

When it comes to shopping and buying gifts, India is a shoppers delight. One can find myriad range of sweet little items to grab, at very reasonable prices in Indian markets across all cities. Given below are the general categories under which you should have your souvenir hunt ( but for the moment stick to hunting for India travel packages):

Textile:

India is famous for its cotton and silk textiles. Also famous for crafty embroidery and unique styles of dyes and block printing extra. As small gifts you can opt for cushion/bed covers,table cloths, dupattas( traditional Indian scarves for girls). Also, for a little more indulgence try out Indian Khadi, and warm Pashmina. Simply book flights to India and explore the beauty it offers.

Handicrafts:

Lamps, puppet dolls, sandalwood or marble elephants, or the classic replicas of the Taj Mahal; there is a humongous range of handicrafts to pick up from the Indian markets. The best is in the street shacks. Inquire about the specialty of which ever city you visit and there will be one typical place they’ll refer you to to get the best of it. So, on your flights from India to the USA you can take all these memories along.

Footwear:

The traditional Indian ‘juttis’ (slippers) are very unique and hold great fascination among tourists. These can be found in different cuts, designs, plain or embroidered with beads or stones. North India, especially Punjab is the place to shop for these. Then, there is the Jodhpuri Mojri too, which is another popular one.

Perfumes:

Try out the exotic bottled up fragrances from Kashmir or Hyderabad, if you happen to visit there. Not that other places, don’t offer some excellent choice of perfumes, but the ones you’ll find at these two places are absolutely heavenly. The perfumed water, known as Attar, come in beautiful crystal decanters. No one can miss these charismatic fragrances once you book flight tickets to India. 

Tea:

With more flavors than you can count on your fingers, India is one of the biggest producers of tea in the world, and naturally so is the best shopping destination, to buy this beverage. The Kahmiri Kahwa to the filter tea of Chennai, different regions and different tea offering. However for a souvenir to be packed for friends the intoxicating Kashmiri Kahwa is the best bet.

Jewelry:

From expensive gold, and solitaire jewels in exclusive Indian designs to kundan, polki, or the cheap junk jewelry; foreigners are intrigues by these finely crafted art pieces and cannot resist but to buy a few pieces. Also, Indian pearls are known for their rare quality and lustre.

Ayurveda:

Take from the land of Ayurveda, some therapeutic souvenirs. From soaps, creams, lotions, shampoos, oils, packs to medicinal herbs and tonics. Ayurvedic products have no side effects, and you can find a wide range of these in luxury packaging. Pick for the fragrant options to indulge all your senses.

Spices:

India has always been known for it’s spicy foods. Even when the first time visitors have smoke running out of their ears when they eat this ‘masaaledar’ (spicy) Indian cuisine, they end up loving it. So what better souvenir to take away than the true flavors of the country. Get some small packs of cloves, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon, sesame etc. Your friends will surely savor this gift.

So if you’ve got your flight tickets to India from USA already, hope you have planned your itinerary with ample time spared to shop for these amazing items.