Karnataka is a large state in southwest India, stretching from the Arabian Sea coast across the forested Western Ghats to the Deccan plateau. It combines the UNESCO-listed ruins of Hampi, the Hoysala temples of Belur and Halebidu, the royal city of Mysuru, coffee-covered Coorg hills, and the beaches of Gokarna and Udupi, with Bengaluru as India's technology capital.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
Mysore silk saree
Pure silk with real gold zari, GI-tagged.
Price: INR 8,000-60,000 (~$83-625)
Where: KSIC showroom, Mysuru; Chickpet, Bengaluru
Sandalwood carvings and oil
Carved figurines and pure oil from Mysore sandalwood; export needs documentation.
Price: INR 500-50,000 (~$5-521)
Where: Cauvery Emporium; government-run showrooms in Mysuru
Channapatna wooden toys
Lacquered toys from Channapatna, GI-tagged.
Price: INR 50-2,500 (~$0.5-26)
Where: Channapatna town; Cauvery Emporium
Bidriware
Zinc-alloy inlaid with silver, hand-engraved.
Price: INR 500-25,000 (~$5-260)
Where: Bidar workshops; Cauvery Emporium
Coorg coffee and spices
Roasted Arabica and Robusta, pepper, cardamom, wild honey.
Price: INR 300-1,500 per kg (~$3-16)
Where: Madikeri Market; estate shops
Ilkal saree
Handloom saree with tope teni pallu.
Price: INR 1,500-10,000 (~$16-104)
Where: Ilkal weaving societies; Cauvery Emporium
Mysore Pak
Ghee-rich gram-flour sweet, originated at Mysore Palace.
Price: INR 400-800 per kg (~$4-8)
Where: Guru Sweets, Mysuru
Mysore incense
Aromatic sticks made in Mysuru.
Price: INR 50-500 (~$0.5-5)
Where: Devaraja Market; Sayyaji Rao Road shops
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Devaraja Market
Century-old covered bazaar with pyramids of kumkum, jasmine, marigold, bananas, incense, and sandalwood.
Where: Sayyaji Rao Road, Mysuru
Hours: Daily 6AM-8PM
Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) Silk Weaving Factory, Mysuru
State-run factory showroom selling pure Mysore silk sarees made with real zari, with fixed prices.
Where: Mananthavady Road, Mysuru
Hours: Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM (check ahead)
Commercial Street
Bengaluru's busiest shopping strip: fabrics, silk, jewellery, leather, and street-fashion stores in a dense grid of lanes.
Where: Commercial Street, Shivajinagar, Bengaluru
Hours: Daily 10AM-9PM
K.R. Market (Krishnarajendra Market)
Bengaluru's largest wholesale flower, fruit, and vegetable market, with a famed flower bazaar.
Where: City Market, Bengaluru
Hours: Daily 5AM-9PM
Chickpet Market
Old-city wholesale textile and jewellery district, well known for silk sarees and gold ornaments at trade prices.
Where: Chickpet, Bengaluru
Hours: Mon-Sat 10AM-8PM; many shops closed Sunday
Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium
Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation emporium with fixed-price sandalwood, rosewood inlay, Channapatna toys, Bidriware, and silk.
Where: MG Road, Bengaluru
Hours: Daily 10AM-7:30PM (check ahead)
Channapatna Toy Town
GI-tagged lacquerware wooden toys made from ivory wood; workshops and shops line the old Bengaluru-Mysuru road through Channapatna town.
Where: Channapatna, Ramanagara district (about 60 km from Bengaluru)
Hours: Daily 9AM-7PM
Mantri Square Mall
One of Bengaluru's largest malls with major Indian and international brands, a food court, and a multiplex.
Where: Malleshwaram, Bengaluru
Hours: Daily 10AM-10PM
UB City Mall
Bengaluru's luxury retail and dining complex with international designer brands and rooftop lounges.
Where: Vittal Mallya Road, Bengaluru
Hours: Daily 11AM-10PM
Phoenix Marketcity Whitefield
Large mall in Whitefield with global and domestic brands, cinema, and food court; a hub for the east Bengaluru tech corridor.
Where: Whitefield Main Road, Bengaluru
Hours: Daily 10AM-10PM
Orion Mall at Brigade Gateway
Large mall with cinema and food court, next to the Brigade Gateway complex.
Where: Dr Rajkumar Road, Rajajinagar, Bengaluru
Hours: Daily 10AM-11PM
Bidriware workshops, Bidar
Bidriware is a GI-tagged zinc-alloy metal craft with silver inlay, made in Bidar since the Bahmani era. Workshops sell vases, boxes, and hookah bases.
Where: Old town, Bidar
Hours: Daily 9AM-7PM (confirm on arrival)
Ilkal Saree weaving centres
GI-tagged handloom sarees with a distinctive tope teni pallu, woven in Ilkal in north Karnataka.
Where: Ilkal, Bagalkot district
Hours: Daily 9AM-6PM
Madikeri Market
Hill-town market selling Coorg coffee, spices, wild honey, cardamom, and pepper.
Where: Madikeri, Kodagu
Hours: Daily 7AM-8PM