Best Shopping Location in Mumbai

When visiting Mumbai for the sole purpose of shopping, Dadar area is a must on your itinerary. This is where you will get just about anything at wholesale rates, meaning at half to less than half of the rates in up-market retail stores and malls. In short, the best deals and discounts are to be had in Dadar!

Important Tips:
* While the area is generally crowded at any given time of day, it is best to avoid going there after 5p.m. In the mornings, visit after 11a.m., by which time all the stores will be open.
* If children are in tow, keep a tight grip on their hands as they can easily get lost in the crowds (this said from personal experience).
* Keep an equally tight grip of your handbags; ensure that the outer pockets are properly zipped up.
* Remember to hold on to your mobile when in a shop, as you may get carried away by your shopping spree & carelessly leave it somewhere.
* A large majority of shops in Dadar are closed on Mondays. On such days, you can indulge in footpath shopping.

First off, visit the Janata market.
Location: behind Plaza theatre. There is a lane near the theatre, with the Cambridge shop on your right. Go down that lane & turn right into the first lane. Avoid buying at the small ground-storied shops in the lane. Go straight down the lane to the building on your right – that is Janata market.

What is available: Beautifully embroidered kurtas, stylish tees and shirts, Team India caps & tee-shirts, jeans, handkerchiefs, colourful printed bed sheets & pillow covers, and lingerie are all available in this one building spread over the ground and first floors. All these products are sold by footpath vendors in the teeming area of Dadar, but it is at Janata market that you will get those exact same products at lesser rates. This is especially a good place to shop when you want to buy something in dozens. For example, the innerwear of toddlers needs to be constantly changed, so you need plenty of those handy! Buy them at Janata market as the reasonable prices will be worth it. You can also buy gifts for a new-born. Jeans & tops of all sizes are worth looking through, the best part being that you can return them within 2 days if they are not the right fit & get the correct size.

Next head to the Kirti market for all your household needs.
Location: near the Dadar railway station. It is very difficult to locate the entrance to Kirti market, as it is sandwiched between shops located all around the perimeter. You can barely see it and if visiting for the first time you will need to ask the locals to find it. In fact, the entrance is very much like entering Aladdin's cave! When you go through you will be amazed by the huge ‘treasures' of the market spread out in front of you. Large stone-flagged pathways criss-cross through the maze of shops.

What is available: All types of steel, aluminum, copper, brass and plastic items. Buckets, tumblers, brooms, dust pans, water bottles, glasses, kitchen vessels, diyas, old-fashioned lanterns, artificial flowers & garlands for portraits… that is not all! Pretty hair accessories, elegant artificial jewellery, groceries, paper plates & glasses for parties …. the list is endless! An even better place to buy utensils at wholesale rates is at Bhavani Shankar Road, near Shardashram School.

Yet another wholesale market is the Veer Savarkar Mandai. Here you can buy vegetables and fruits at two to three rupees less than the rates outside. Also, you can buy chicken and sea food items, plus masalas & pickles.

For plywood, hardware and sanitary fittings, head to S. K. Bhole Road, just off Antonio D'Silva School. You can't miss the row of shops with huge planks of plywood stacked outside. The sanitary fittings available here: Faucets, rods for bathrooms, tiles, granite, ceramic items, water tanks and toilet seats.

For a fragrant experience visit the wholesale flower market below the flyover near the Dadar railway station entrance. The most commonly used flower for worship is the ‘gonda'. Jasmines, lilies, lotuses, and the favourite of them all – roses – fill the air with their lovely fragrances.

Come – visit Dadar for a uniquely different shopping experience!

For some more informative Shopping Experiences see: Footpath shopping in Mumbai.