Let me just put it out there, street shopping is NOT child’s play! I mean as a student, most of the time we are broke AF. But it is not a crime to want the finer things in life or to look good. Street shopping helps in that immensely!
It may not come with a fancy brand name (which you mispronounce) but if you are an expert or have a keen eye, it’ll last you as long and will definitely look good.
To help you find the most sought-after places, here are some must-visit places for street shopping in Kolkata.
Boro Bazar
Famous for – Variety of stores and affordability.
Location – Near MG Road Metro Station. Take any bus from Howrah.
Timings – 10:30 am to 7:30 pm, except Sundays.
Literally translating to “Big Market” in English, Boro Bazar is one of the oldest and biggest wholesale markets in India, hence it has everything you’d want in daily life. From textiles to spices to utensils and hardware, everything can be found here if you look for it or ask around.
It is also the ultimate shopping destination for festivals and weddings. It is said, if you spend one day in Boro Bazar, you’ll get everything you want for an Indian wedding.
New Market
Famous for – Apparels and Accessories as well as household items.
Location – Esplanade Metro Station and Dhormotawla Bus stand.
Timings – Every day. 10 am – 10 pm.
Delhites may have Sarojini Nagar for their clothes, but we have New Market! The trendiest clothes and accessories can be found here even before they hit the racks of stores like Zara, H&M and Forever 21.
There are three shopping complexes – New Market, Hogg Market and Sreeram Arcade along with innumerable street shops where you’ll find everything you want or need.
Sreeram Arcade and New Market are famous for their clothing, accessories and beauty shops whereas Hogg Market and the shops near it offer a huge variety on household items like crockery and cutlery sets, bedsheets, showpieces etc.
You will be out of breath and full of choices on what to buy and what not to! BUT do NOT buy cosmetics from there, no matter how tempting they look.
Read More: 50 Thoughts All Girls Have While Shopping
Hatibagan Market
Famous for – Accessories and Sarees.
Location – Near Shayambazar metro stations or you can take any bus from Howrah.
Timings – 9 am – 10 pm, every day.
If you want the trendiest traditional necklaces, earrings, bangles, sarees, ethnic wear and everything in between, you have to visit Hatibagan Market. They have the cheapest yet the most sought after ones to offer.
The saree shops here are a class apart. Once it was the ultimate market for animals and birds. But a fire destroyed a huge part of it. The remaining market sells the best cotton and silk sarees at an affordable price. This place is extremely crowded in the evenings and on holidays.
Chandni Chawk Market
Famous for – Electronics and Hardware
Location – Chandni Chawk Metro Station, or you can take any bus/walk from Esplanade.
Timings – 11 am – 7 pm, Except Sundays.
Kolkata has its own version of Chandni Chawk as well but this one is famous for its electronic stores and hardware shops. There are also many repair shops for electronic gadgets as well as official service centers.
The gadgets and hardware here are sold at wholesale prices as well. New and innovative gadgets are found here. Chandni Chawk becomes more beautiful during the Diwali season with the variety of lights it has to offer.
College Street
Famous for – Books and Stationery
Location – College Street, near Gate 6 of Central Metro Station.
Timings – 11 pm – 8 pm, except Sundays.
The second-largest book market and the largest secondhand book market in Asia, is truly the book lover’s paradise. You can get literally any book (even rare ones) from renowned stores as well as small stall owners.
Even if you don’t like books (what are you doing with your life?), you’ll be charmed by the atmosphere. People from different paths of life come here for their love for books.
Many book shop owners from the suburbs come here to buy books at a wholesale price. No matter how often or how many times you’ve come here, College street will surprise you with its collection.
Dakshinapan and Gariahat
Famous for – Saree, Handicrafts and tribal accessories.
Location – Near Dhakuria Lake, 2 Gariahat.
Timings – 11 am – 9 pm
Gariahat is famous for its collection of various sarees in affordable price range, and in Dakhinapan you’ll find handicrafts and tribal accessories stores lined up, like chikankari, taant, silk etc. Although the stores of the latter rarely drop their price, you’ll find them to be decently priced anyway.
Special Mentions – The streets of Kolkata offer some of the best street foods, one street that must be mentioned in particular is the Dacres Street.
Situated in Esplanade Row, this street offers the best in street foods at an extremely affordable price range. As this location is in close proximity to multiple offices and headquarters (like LIC, Peerless, SBI, etc), so many employees come to eat there since the food is hygienic.
You could also visit Sudder Street for boho chic clothes and accessories and the Khidderpore Dock which is notorious for its “branded” goods (you’ll know what I mean once you visit). Howrah Phool Bagan is famous for its flowers.
These are the main ‘hubs’, but the main weapon in street shopping is ALWAYS BARGAIN NO MATTER WHAT and have a keen eye in inspecting what you are getting. If you can’t/don’t know how to, take someone who’s a pro at this with you. This way and with the help of this guide, you’ll learn the nooks and crannies of street shopping sooner than you can imagine.
Image Sources – Google
Sources –NDTV, Times of India
Find the blogger – @RoyDelancy
Also Read:
Are You Into Wasteful Spending And Compulsive Shopping? Here’s What To Do About It
