Shopping in the crowded tiny lanes in India’s Old Delhi is amazing fun but can be a tad overwhelming.
There are so many people, it is so noisy and crowded, and you are spoiled for choice.
If you are shopping for trinkets or buttons or beads or ribbons or gift bags or any other of the wonderful things you can find in Old Delhi, then the worst that you risk is paying a couple of rupees more in one tiny shop than you would have done in another.
If you are in the market for jewellery or for gem stones, however, then the stakes (and the risks) are more substantial.
And that is why the cognoscenti beat a path to the following address in Old Delhi :
Ask for the Jain Temple, and the shop is in an old haveli in the same tiny little lane where the temple is.
This lane is famous for its row of prettily painted old houses, and is an oasis of quiet. The temple is also delightful, so the whole trip is well worth your while.
Ashish Nahar and his father are courteous, welcoming, and have a huge range of jewellery and loose stones.
The latter are a particular favourite of mine – bags of topaz and amethyst are offered for you to select the stones you want, and their quality is excellent, their prices good, and their reputation impeccable.
A real find.
Personally recommended.