Venue: Kolkata, West Bengal

Trying to create a shopping guide for Kolkata was reckoning. We realised it pulls in different directions. Yet there is a fundamental sense of art and austerity that has guided the aesthete of Kolkata.

That is no surprise since Kolkata, over ages, is known for its cultural and artistic heritage. It was the capital of British India till the year 1911.  In this period, people from all over India came and settled in Kolkata given the demography a pluralistic flavour. All this has influenced the markets in Kolkata. Kolkata shopping scene is therefore a harmonious fusion of colonial tastes with contemporary styles and Non-Bengali influences all peppered with the inherent Bengali penchant for art.

What to shop in Kolkata

Well art heads the list. Art is embedded in lives of people in Bengali and one does not need to be particularly “arty” to appreciate this finer way of life. Be it clothes or houses of the 70 s, you look around and you find a penchant for design. In fact during Durga Puja, the whole big city becomes a living art gallery. Needless to say, art objects are high among the top things to buy from Kolkata. If you like art around you, Kolkata offers many options at very affordable prices. Be it clothes, home décor or even food, here is some art that you may want to carry back.

Tant and Tant saree from Kolkata

The handloom sector of Undivided Bengal has been extremely active since colonial era. The cottons, silks and the fine muslins from here were in high demand in Rome, China, Afghanistan and England. While much has changed in the last century – politically as well as socially, there is a very active handloom community spread all throughout the state. They still weave cotton, silk and Khadi items often with geometric Jamdani designs. Handloom is called Tant in Bengal and Tant sarees are a must have in any fashion aficionados wardrobe.

Kolkata is the mecca for Taant sarees and other handwoven clothing and fabrics and dhotis too. There are handloom shops in almost every corner of the city. However, for a wider choice, you should visit the Gariahat Market or the government emporiums Tantuja or Tantusree. In addition to sarees, you would get a wide range of traditional clothing such as kurtas, cotton shirts, pajamas and dhotis here.

Other sarees from Kolkata

Sarees are still the most common clothing for women in West Bengal. Hence, not only Bengali Taant sarees, Kolkata is one of the largest markets for all saree industries across India. Given the stiff competition, saree prices are very moderate. Hence, be it a Benarasi or a Kota Doriya or Patola, Kolkata is the place for picking up some traditional varieties.

There are a host of markets across the city, and we shall come to those in a later post, where one can go saree hunting. But places in Kolkata are close so no market is more than 2 km away. Wherever you are, you would be located not far from a popular saree market.

Costume ornaments

Crafts folks in West Bengal are using every element conceivable under the sun to make ornaments. Fixing a bit of fabric to some cowrie shells or a terracotta piece, they are churning out amazing pieces that are as good on the neck as on the drawing room centre table. We bought some as gifts and were surprised that these extremely aesthetic pieces started from 100 Rupees only! These are available in most markets in Kolkata.

Kumartuli clay idols and pottery

Kumortuli, or the “Neighbourhood for Potters or Kumbhars” is a popular Durga Puja activity in Kolkata. Tourists and photographers throng this area in North Kolkata, the older part of the city, pre Durga Puja times to see the crafting process of the magnificent Durga idols. Kumortuli therefore is perhaps the most photographed zone in this city.

The idol makers of Kumartuli work overnight on Durga idols in the four months preceding Durga Puja. However, they make and sell other beautiful idols and statuettes of deities, famous personalities, animals, birds, gorgeously painted Indian style flower pots, wall plaques and so on, rest of the year. These pieces are very affordable and add a subtle hint of Indian tradition to a home. In fact, to make durable products better fit for carrying out, some of the sculptors now provide fibre glass versions as well. But we have personally carried out some clay items from Kolkata. Given the excellent packing, they have reached home intact.

If you have an eye for crafts, this is a must buy from Kolkata. There are potter’s shops in most markets in Kolkata. However for the widest variety of art objects, highest skill and overall artistic experience, Kumortuli is a must visit. Word of caution – do hand carry the items since, notwithstanding how well these are packed, if it is clay – it is fragile and require careful handling.

Goyna Bori or Gohona Bori

Food is the new art. But the Bengali cuisine caught on to the “art in food” concept eons back. The best example of art in Bengali food is the Goyna Bori. A bori is a dried lentil paste dumpling that is later fried and had crisp or added to cooked dishes. The women of the eastern part of Midnapore district of West Bengal have been making the boris differently. They do not make dumplings. Instead, they make ornate paisleys and other floral and geometric designs with lentil paste. Once dried, these become edible pieces of art that resemble goyna, Bengali for ornaments. The Goyna Bori is deep fried and then appreciated, clicked and had crisp.

Goyna Bori is available at select grocery stores. Given that it is done by village women in their free time, the supply is erratic. But if you want to surprise the friends and folks with some art on dinner table, do the hunt and carry some Goyna Bori from Kolkata.

Other items to buy in Kolkata

Handicrafts in Kolkata

Kolkata traditionally has followed an “Art in Life” approach. Be it votive elements or household goods, there is an inherent design twist. The surrounding areas are manufacturing hubs as well.

We have already mentioned clay. In addition, be it wood, ceramic, bell metal and even precious metals such as gold and silver, there is a distinctive Bengali legacy of design that people have nurtured. Madur or mats made of fibre or river grass are woven in amazing contrasting colours and a variety is available in Kolkata. Conch shell craft is unique to this region. Not only white conch bangles made famous in Bhansali’s Devdas, a host of artifacts are made with this sea produce. We have also been amazed with unique artwork made with shola pith. The soft white stem of this riverside plant is carved to make delicately designed head gear for a bride and the groom; ornaments on religious idols and standalone statues and statuettes. The end products look a little like ivory – but softer and charming. By nature, these are more than souvenirs. They bring a certain subtle beauty to one’s life and make beautiful gifts as well.

Sweets – Mishti in Kolkata

There is a lot of truth in the West Bengal government tourism tagline – “Welcome to Bengal, the sweetest part of India”. The sheer variety of sweets available in a regular sweet shop, and wiped off by customers on daily basis, is mindboggling. Bhansali’s “Devdas” made the sweet “Sandesh” popular in rest of India. But when in Kolkata, you realise Sandesh is not a specific item. It is the generic name for a variety of milk based dried sweets that Bengalis have. And then of course there are the syrupy Roshogolla or the Bengali response to yoghurt – Mishti Doi. Wet – dry; milk, khoya, cottage cheese, flour or even rice flour Bengalis make sweets out of all. The demand for sweets is so high that there are very many confectioners in every area, all of whom do brisk business. The competitive nature of this trade ensures great quality at affordable price.

Starting from the airport, to your accommodation area, there are sweet shops everywhere. We have not been disappointed with sweets from Kolkata ever so you can safely get items packed for home. You can also ask your host for recommendations for a good sweet shop. Do ask the shop keepers as to which sweets are suitable to carry back long distance because some Bengali sweets perish fast.

Bakery in Kolkata                  

Given the colonial legacy, Kolkata has a rich heritage in terms of bakery. A lot of the Anglo-Indian community of India still lives in Kolkata whose traditional cooking style bears a strong Bengali influence. The bakery in this city retains the old school approach with generous use of marzipan and sugar (not cream) based icing. We are big fans of the iconic Flury’s and visit one of the oldest markets of the city, ironically called “New Market” just for this pre Independence era bakery – Nahoum. We have often got cakes, cookies and candies packed from these places and our friends in Delhi, if they had their way, would have sent us back to Kolkata just for these goodies. If you have a sweet tooth or a bakery fan, the bakery in Kolkata is a must try.

Tea leaves in Kolkata

Kolkata being the closest metropolis to the tea belt starting from Darjeeling and spreading all the way to Assam, there are a host of tea sellers here. They sell varieties of loose leaf tea that cater to different requirements in terms of flavour, strength and body. If you know what you want, you can name it to the tea seller. If not, you can describe what kind of tea you like to have and the tea seller would recommend suitable tea. Consuming loose leaf tea is an old practice in Kolkata so they are generally not wrong. Do inquire about the brewing process since every tea has its own requirement.

Patali Gur or Jaggery

It is winter and Patali Gur or an aromatic date palm jaggery is doing the rounds as a sweetener to desserts or to be had on its own. This jaggery, made with date palm juice, is less sweet than the sugarcane juice based North Indian variety and has an intense smoky sweet flavour. This variety of jaggery is available in caked version and is easy to carry back. This is traditionally available in most local market. Now some confectioners also sell Patali Gur.

Biryani in Kolkata

It would be difficult to justify adding this item in the list. But if you have had biryani in Kolkata, you would know what we are saying. The biryani here is Awadhi style – mildly spice; flavoured chiefly with saffron and rose water and comes with a potato and full boiled egg. This biryani and the northern or southern biryanis that we have are like chalk and cheese. We are not pitching one style against the other. Yet, the outstation popularity of Kolkata biryani has encouraged most big biryani places to provide strong and safely sealed packaging that may be carried in flights. We are fans and have seen our friends in Delhi going ga-ga on this dish. Try it and be aware that this can be easily packed and carried back if your journey back home is not more than a couple of hours.

There are many other items that may be included in this list. For the sake of brevity, we shall stop here. A further post about specific markets of Kolkata that a traveller can visit shall follow shortly.