Taking real antiques out of the country is illegal. Replicas of famous pieces of sculpture and carvings are available as memorabilia at tourist destinations and they come for a reasonable price. This art tradition is a very rich one and a bulk of it is constituted by the tribal art form, products of which are available at the various government emporia.

Beautiful metalware artifacts can be found all over the country. The black metal craft of Bidar in Karnataka is famous and so is the brassware from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. White metal, German silver and iodised metalware is famous in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Tribal metalware artifacts can be found in the Madhya Pradesh state emporium. Buddhist metal crafts are stocked in Jammu & Kashmir emporia as also in shops run by the Tibetan communities in New Delhi and elsewhere. South India is known for its brassware. These are not only expensive but could be difficult to carry back home, due to the sheer weight of it.

The state of Kashmir has a rich carpet tradition akin to the Persian/Central Asian variety. Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh is another place famous for its carpets. The woollen carpets from Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh have Buddhist motifs on them. Elsewhere, carpets are locally known as dhurries. Gujarat has a rich tradition of woollen dhurries

Silk in India is comparatively cheap.But one should have good knowledge of the quality of silk they buy. Kanchipuram in Tamil nadu is the most famous silk market. Other places where you get silk and sarees are Doddaballapur and Mysore in Karnataka and Tanjore in Tamil nadu.

India is known for its intricate gold jewellery. Gold is associated in India with Lakshmi - the Goddess of prosperity, and precious stones are believed to possess the power to modify the influence of the planets.  The jewellery occupies a very important place in the Indian society, even today

Replicas of famous Indian miniature paintings could be purchased from various emporia around the country. You are advised to carefully check the paintings for quality, if you have stopped by at the roadside vendors in New Delhi and in some other tourist places like Jaipur and Udaipur. Paintings on cloth or Kalamkari is typical to Andhra Pradesh. Beautiful miniature paintings on leaf skeletons are a speciality of Kerala and make an interesting buy for the tourist.

India is famous for its different types of silk, muslin and a variety of other cotton textiles. Varanasi, Bengal, Assam, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are famous for its silks. The northern hills are famous for their woollen products. While Punjab is known for its hosiery and knitwear

Kashmir: famous for carpets If Kashmir offers you carpets, papiér mache, leather shoes, boots, coats & jackets, rugs, embroidered shirts & dresses and walnut wood carvings, Punjab has Phulkari. The famous embroidered shawls, the silk soft 'Pashmina' shawls, stone-studded jewellery, filigree and enamelware are many of the artifacts that make Kashmir a shopper's dream.
If 'Phulkari'-embroidered fabrics, bed spreads and wall hangings of Punjab impress you, then you must check out the gold and silver-threaded footwear, woodcraft, silver work, carved bracelets, jewellery, woollens, durries and carpets lining the shops.

The best leather goods come from Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. Kanpur and Agra in Uttar Pradesh were once the biggest producers of leather and leather accessories. Calcutta and Mumbai come next for the best leather purchases. Indian leather goods finds its way to the best stores in Europe and America. Do not miss the chance to buy leather goods at a throw able price, when in India.