Talala Gir Market YardTalala, Gir Somnath
The Gir Kesar mango auction
The main auction point for the region's Kesar crop between May and June. Lots are sold by the box and the day's rate is set here; it is a working market, not a visitor attraction.
Saurashtra · Arid Northwest
Shops and premises
Chandi Bazaar, JamnagarJamnagar
Silver, and bandhani sold from the workshops that tie it
The old silver market of the town, and the easiest place to see bandhani before it has been mounted for retail.
Jetpur dyeing and printing clusterJetpur, Rajkot district
Screen-printed and dyed cotton saree cloth
Hundreds of units along the Bhadar, printing at volume including for export markets. Worth seeing as an industrial process rather than as a shop.
Sihor brass bazaarSihor, Bhavnagar district
Brass and copper vessels, and hand-tinning
One of the few places still tinning copper vessels to order rather than selling steel.
Tangaliya weavers' association, SurendranagarSurendranagar
Tangaliya shawls and stoles woven with the dana technique
The weavers' body registered as proprietor of the Tangaliya geographical indication. Buying through it is the only reliable way to know a piece is hand-woven rather than printed to imitate the dots.
Garvi Gurjari emporiaRajkot and other Gujarat cities
State-run retail for Gujarat's handloom and handicraft clusters
Prices are fixed and provenance is documented, which makes it a useful reference point before buying in a bazaar.
The Bhavnagar gathiya shopsBhavnagar
Soft gathiya with papaya sambharo and fried chillies
A category rather than a single address — most neighbourhoods have one, and they are busiest between six and nine in the morning.
Famous shops, markets and workshops in Saurashtra, and what each is known for. (7)