Mumbai Shopping: 16 Ideas for Travelers, Mumbai, India

In India, a foreigner can't get far without insider knowledge, whether it's for souvenir shopping or something else. Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) is by far the most popular and the largest of Indian cities, teeming with a plethora of things representative of India's millenia-long heritage. To decide what is suited as a gift and, most importantly, how to strike a bargain, check out this shortlist of items drawn up by knowledgeable locals.

Enticing and exotic. This is how the famous embroidery of the Land of Shivaji should be described. Maharashtra has a vast cultural heritage and a vibrant spirit which never dies. Its embroideries earned their fame because of the versatility and complexity of designs created by skillful artisans. There is no such thing as too many colors for the Indian embroiderer. Along history, embroidery has been used to adorn everything, from simple handkerchiefs to royal attires. Among the things that distinguish Indian embroidery from Western works is that the Indians use only natural color for dying and various stitches, most popular being the Holbein, wave and cross stitches. Today, applications of this art can be seen on all possible items, such as stoles, purses, sarees, bed covers and cushions, and even footwear. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).