The city of joy, as Kolkata is fondly called, offers much to travellers and is a delight for shoppers. From traditional handwoven textiles and books to handloom sarees, terracotta items and other souvenirs, markets in Kolkata are brimming with a fine selection of products. New Market is one of the best-known bazaars of the city. The market is lined with about 2,000 stalls that offer great choices of white 'lal paar' sarees, which are worn during Durga puja and feature a red border. You can also get good buys on Vishnupuri and tussar silk sarees. Running from Park Street to New Market, Chowringhee Road is a bizarrely beautiful market that offers almost everything under the sun. Who knows what you may find sifting through the pile of junk - maybe an ancient relic! Look out for attractive terracotta ware that is a unique speciality. The largest book market of the country, College Street, offers an unmatched variety of new and old books for the happy reader. In colloquial language, it is called ' Boi Para', which roughly translates into book locality. It is said to be the brains of the cerebral city and many believe that “if you can't find a book in college street, it probably hasn't been printed.” It is considered as the largest second-hand book locality in Asia. Gariahat Road is a great place to stock up on traditional textiles. From Benarasi silk to Kantha stitch, you can find budgeted buys on almost anything.

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