Shopping: From Chennai to Pondi

tapir · Jul 22nd, 2004, 16:04

Hi
I´ll arrive at Chennai next sunday. I plan to arrive in Auroville (near Pondi) about 2 days later. I plan take as few clothes as possible in order to buy new ones as soon as I arrive.
I heared that Chennai isn´t very good for buying nice clothes. Mamallapuram would probably the place, since I got to pass it anyways. For some reason I am not too eager to visit it, though.

Sooo, how about Pondi. Are there those tourist shops with nice clothes like in Mamallapuram?
Any other place between Chennai and Pondi that you could recommend for shopping or just hanging out and getting used to india?

tapir

P.S: Site´s going down exactly when I arrive in India and could need some tips

beach · Jul 22nd, 2004, 16:28

What kind of cloths?

Mamallapuram is not a big shoping place.

For the regular use cloths go to T.Nagar or Mount Road at Chennai. There are plenty of shops there. The Spencer's Plaza at Mt.Road (near Gemini flyover ) is also a good place for shoping.

You can find decent cloth shops @ Pondi too.

radz · Jul 22nd, 2004, 16:38

tapir:who said Chennai is not good place to buy cloths?

?

Mamallapuram is not very big city to buy cloths,they come to shopping Chennai.
Pondi you can buy.
But best Chennai,as Beach suggest , Try T.Nagar,Spencer Plaza,or Egmore.

pooch · Jul 22nd, 2004, 18:08

tapir skip chennai and mammalapuram (not that they r bad for shopping), go to Pondy, by the canal road near the police station and a petrol bunk you will find an outlet called Cotton World, you'll find all the export surplus in the world there to buy.

tapir · Jul 22nd, 2004, 18:12

Well, I was told that in Chennai clothes for indians are sold, which are rather like the stuff you get in cheap western shops (jeans, shirts with big&stupid sounding labels...).
I suppouse I am rather looking for the stuff that is expensively sold at music festivals as "traditional indian clothes" (ie that-is-what-western-tourist-expects-to-be-indian clothes). For example light and colourfool cotton trousers or shirts.

Btw, are there any indian clothes that are neither western style nor specially produced for tourists nor look all stupid when worn by some western guy?

Can someone tell me more about Kanchipuram? Is this a nice city to hang out, are there good&cheap hotels available?

beach · Jul 22nd, 2004, 19:54

In the available places you are telling, Chennai is the largest city and hence the choices. Please remember this is the South and the ‘men’s traditional wear’ you are referring may be mostly Northish in style. So you may not have some exotic stores selling such men’s wear in south.

The case is reverse for the female wear (for sari). Chennai is THE place to buy exotic saris. Nalli has saris from Rs200 to Rs200000 under the same roof.

Any way just drop in at some of the expensive looking men’s stores at Mt. Road or T.Nagar. The first thing they will ask you is the target price range. You have to tell them something like 500to1000rs or 1000 to 2000rs or something like that. Then they’ll show you the cloths in that price tag. That is how business is done at this part the world.

Or you can go to the ‘cheap’ cloth shops inside the Ranganathan street (avoid evenings as they are very crowded). There are shops there selling cloths in per kilo rate!

Also you can walk into a Khadi handcraft emporium and ask for traditional cloths.

The shops at Spencers’ plaza or the branded shops (Raymonds and the likes) are more suitable for this. Pondi too have a number of good cloth shops.

Kanchi is a small temple town (incidentally the silk waver’s place too ).there are a few cheap hotels and all there. Catch the bus from the Chennai main bus stand at Koyambedu.

radz · Jul 22nd, 2004, 20:21

Kancheepuram is temple town.Good example of SouthIndian architecture.
Try hotel
Hotel Tamilnadu (T.T.D.C)
78, Kamakshi Amman Street,
Near Railway Station

Opposite bustand you will find other midrange hotels are there.

tapir · Jul 23rd, 2004, 01:43

Thank you

Travelingbhat · Jul 23rd, 2004, 11:21

Chennai /Kanchipuram is definitely known for its sarees but the type of silk saree you get here can be found in the major cities like Mumbai, Calcutta, Delhi but not AS much variety and maybe a little more expensive than at the direct source. A lot of Indians in India go directly to the city that specializes in the particular saree type as they have to buy so many of them for say a wedding and it makes sense to spend the money to go directly to the source. Kanchipuram sarees are definitely one of the most popular silk saress but there are alternatives...

A lot of regions in India have their own unique silk saree style or or variety of sarees. For example Varnasi is known for Benares silks (rich brocaded sarees), I bought odissi silk saries in Bhubaneswar which have some very intricate embrodary type work on them, in Calcutta you can find famous West Bengal sarees of Baluchari (where the pallu - the border has some mythological stories represented), in mysore you can find feather soft mysore silks in vibrant colors with simple pure gold borders (my favorite), in Dharwad, Karnataka they have extremely beautiful cotton ones with more intricate embroidered work.

There are tons of other saree/fabric/styles I am missing but just to reassure you that if you cannot make it to Chennai you will have other beautiful and equally interesting options to buy!

Jul 22nd, 2004, 16:04	#1
tapir Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: germany, stuttgart Posts: 27	Sopping: From Chennai to Pondi Hi I´ll arrive at Chennai next sunday. I plan to arrive in Auroville (near Pondi) about 2 days later. I plan take as few clothes as possible in order to buy new ones as soon as I arrive. I heared that Chennai isn´t very good for buying nice clothes. Mamallapuram would probably the place, since I got to pass it anyways. For some reason I am not too eager to visit it, though. Sooo, how about Pondi. Are there those tourist shops with nice clothes like in Mamallapuram? Any other place between Chennai and Pondi that you could recommend for shopping or just hanging out and getting used to india? tapir P.S: Site´s going down exactly when I arrive in India and could need some tips __________________ On being vegan

Jul 22nd, 2004, 16:38	#3
radz Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: India Posts: 748	tapir:who said Chennai is not good place to buy cloths?? Mamallapuram is not very big city to buy cloths,they come to shopping Chennai. Pondi you can buy. But best Chennai,as Beach suggest , Try T.Nagar,Spencer Plaza,or Egmore. __________________ My Photo gallery

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Jul 22nd, 2004, 16:28	#2
beach Lost in translation Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: India ! Posts: 2,234	What kind of cloths? Mamallapuram is not a big shoping place. For the regular use cloths go to T.Nagar or Mount Road at Chennai. There are plenty of shops there. The Spencer's Plaza at Mt.Road (near Gemini flyover ) is also a good place for shoping. You can find decent cloth shops @ Pondi too.

Jul 22nd, 2004, 18:08	#4
pooch Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Middle East <---->India Posts: 384	tapir skip chennai and mammalapuram (not that they r bad for shopping), go to Pondy, by the canal road near the police station and a petrol bunk you will find an outlet called Cotton World, you'll find all the export surplus in the world there to buy.

Jul 22nd, 2004, 18:12	#5
tapir Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: germany, stuttgart Posts: 27	Well, I was told that in Chennai clothes for indians are sold, which are rather like the stuff you get in cheap western shops (jeans, shirts with big&stupid sounding labels...). I suppouse I am rather looking for the stuff that is expensively sold at music festivals as "traditional indian clothes" (ie that-is-what-western-tourist-expects-to-be-indian clothes). For example light and colourfool cotton trousers or shirts. Btw, are there any indian clothes that are neither western style nor specially produced for tourists nor look all stupid when worn by some western guy? Can someone tell me more about Kanchipuram? Is this a nice city to hang out, are there good&cheap hotels available?

Jul 22nd, 2004, 19:54	#6
beach Lost in translation Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: India ! Posts: 2,234	In the available places you are telling, Chennai is the largest city and hence the choices. Please remember this is the South and the ‘men’s traditional wear’ you are referring may be mostly Northish in style. So you may not have some exotic stores selling such men’s wear in south. The case is reverse for the female wear (for sari). Chennai is THE place to buy exotic saris. Nalli has saris from Rs200 to Rs200000 under the same roof. Any way just drop in at some of the expensive looking men’s stores at Mt. Road or T.Nagar. The first thing they will ask you is the target price range. You have to tell them something like 500to1000rs or 1000 to 2000rs or something like that. Then they’ll show you the cloths in that price tag. That is how business is done at this part the world. Or you can go to the ‘cheap’ cloth shops inside the Ranganathan street (avoid evenings as they are very crowded). There are shops there selling cloths in per kilo rate! Also you can walk into a Khadi handcraft emporium and ask for traditional cloths. The shops at Spencers’ plaza or the branded shops (Raymonds and the likes) are more suitable for this. Pondi too have a number of good cloth shops. Kanchi is a small temple town (incidentally the silk waver’s place too ).there are a few cheap hotels and all there. Catch the bus from the Chennai main bus stand at Koyambedu.

Jul 22nd, 2004, 20:21	#7
radz Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: India Posts: 748	Kancheepuram is temple town.Good example of SouthIndian architecture. Try hotel Hotel Tamilnadu (T.T.D.C) 78, Kamakshi Amman Street, Near Railway Station Opposite bustand you will find other midrange hotels are there.

Jul 23rd, 2004, 01:43	#8
tapir Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: germany, stuttgart Posts: 27	Thank you

Jul 23rd, 2004, 11:21	#9
Travelingbhat Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Seattle, USA Posts: 98	Chennai /Kanchipuram is definitely known for its sarees but the type of silk saree you get here can be found in the major cities like Mumbai, Calcutta, Delhi but not AS much variety and maybe a little more expensive than at the direct source. A lot of Indians in India go directly to the city that specializes in the particular saree type as they have to buy so many of them for say a wedding and it makes sense to spend the money to go directly to the source. Kanchipuram sarees are definitely one of the most popular silk saress but there are alternatives... A lot of regions in India have their own unique silk saree style or or variety of sarees. For example Varnasi is known for Benares silks (rich brocaded sarees), I bought odissi silk saries in Bhubaneswar which have some very intricate embrodary type work on them, in Calcutta you can find famous West Bengal sarees of Baluchari (where the pallu - the border has some mythological stories represented), in mysore you can find feather soft mysore silks in vibrant colors with simple pure gold borders (my favorite), in Dharwad, Karnataka they have extremely beautiful cotton ones with more intricate embroidered work. There are tons of other saree/fabric/styles I am missing but just to reassure you that if you cannot make it to Chennai you will have other beautiful and equally interesting options to buy!

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