Manali Bazaars
There are many places where you can
shop for handicrafts and local curios in Manali. Make
a trip to the colourful Tibetan Bazaar at the extreme
south end of Manali sells Kullu shawls, caps, and other
woollen clothes, and a good range of Tibetan souvenirs
that includes thangkas (Buddhist paintings on cloth,
see Arts & Crafts of HP for more), silver and turquoise
jewellery, and music cassettes.
Check out the Tibetan Carpets Centre
at the Gadan Thekchokling Gompa for rugs, carpets and
handicrafts. The New Shopping Centre (NAC Market) behind
the bus stand has some stalls that sell souvenirs.
The Mall trip offers many options to
those interested in the serious business of shopping.
Try the Government owned Charitable Trust Tibetan Handicrafts,
or any of the cooperatives run by local women, such
as Kullu/Kashmir Shawl Emporium. For shawls Bhutico
is good too, and so is Himachal Handicrafts on Circuit
House Road.
If you’re looking for postcards
to send back home, walk into Bookworm at the NAC Market,
which also has a good collection of paperbacks. Roadside
stalls spring up in the evenings, especially around
Cozy Restaurant and the bus station. Do try some locally
made pickles, jams and juices. Natural oils for massage
and shampoos are available from a shop on the Mall that
sells nothing else.
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