Chennai Shopping and Districts

(Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India)

Never mind the fact that Chennai isn't much of a tourist destination, this economic boomtown is the fourth-largest city in all of India, and it's simply bursting with exceptional shopping opportunities. The selection includes one-stop superstores, fashionable boutiques and eclectic, old-world bazaars.

Major shopping malls are found right in the heart of Chennai city centre, close to the busiest five-star hotels. Shoppers won't want to miss the Spencer Plaza, a mercantile oasis with some 400 retailers on hand. This is easily the biggest shopping complex in all of South India, and it attracts Indian shoppers from across the region. The Spencer alone is reason enough to spend a weekend in Chennai.

When to Shop and Where

Other shopping plazas in Chennai include the Abirami Mega Mall (with an indoor 'snow world'); the Ampa Mall, with an enormous food court and seven-screen cinema; the Express Avenue, a leader in luxury shopping; and the Chennai Citi Centre, which has extensive entertainment options and the best selection of Western clothing in this part of India.

Handicrafts are a favourite with tourists, and there are several cottage-industry workshops in the region with major outlets in Chennai. These are scattered all over the central districts, usually in conjunction with temples and outdoor bazaars, or else in major shopping centres like the Spencer Plaza. SIPA'S Craftlink on Kodambakkam High Road is a good choice, as it was the first fair-trade handicraft shop in South India.

English-language books are also widely available in Chennai. Secondhand book dealers are particularly popular, and many sell rare antique books and maps, in addition to general reading material. Much of the English-language material for sale is of a religious, historical or cultural nature, as these tend to be the sorts of books tourists are likely to read and unload while travelling through South India.