If you love to shop for special things in your travel places, Nainital will not disappoint you. So, here are the top famous things to buy in Nainital which are the particular speciality of Uttarakhand’s town!
Speciality items of Nainital
The hill station has many popular specialities for shopping ranging from the wax candles, Bal Mithai sweet to the brass items.
Also, at several places of the city ‘, Sardar Ji ka famous murge ka achar’ advertisement will definitely catch your attention.
Apart from the ever-bustling mall road, there are plenty of smaller bazaars for you to explore and bargain.
1 Uniquely Designed Candles
You can find beautiful wax candles at several gift shops in Nainital. It is a topmost item among unique things to buy in Nainital.
The flourishing candle industry which was started in the early ’90s is involved mainly in the handmade decorative candle. These candles come in attractive shapes and aromas.
If you are looking for memorable stuff, these candles, serve the purpose well. They have a reasonable price ( as low as Rs 35 ! ) and yet look quite beautiful.
My View: There are two shop places I would particularly like to mention – Pandey Gift and General Store at Sattal Lake and Factory Shop of Uttarakhand Textile Development Corporation in Pandegaon on Naukuchiatal-Road.
2 Fruit Products
The fruit products are also a popular item of Nainital.
There is a shop on Bhimtal-Bhowali road called fruitage which sells these products. They include jams, squashes, juices, chutney and pickles.
The other popular items are Apple chutney (from Mukteshwar and Ranikhet orchards) and Buransh (flower) Squash which has some medicinal benefits.
Among dry fruits, you can purchase walnuts, plum, kafal, strawberry and apricot which are local fruits.
My View: I especially recommend pickles of lemon (they are bigger in size than normal lemons ) and Chilli to buy for your home!
3 Woollen Items
People also like to buy woollen clothes including shawls, mufflers, scarves from the market called Bhutia market that falls behind Naina Devi Temple.
However, compared to Darjeeling’s Market I found these stuff a bit pricey. Never mind, there is a wide variety and design of woollen stuffs to buy here.
My View: The State’s Textile Development Factory Shop at Pandegaon has a good collection of ethnic wear. The price however was a little higher although it has a wide range of varieties.
4 Bamboo Fabric
This is a unique thing to buy exclusively from Nainital.
The bamboo fibres are used to make these kinds of clothes. The best part of this kind of cloth is that it keeps you odour-free and feeling and smelling fresh.
The bamboo clothes keep you cooler in summer and warmer in winter. The price starts around Rs 1800.
In short, the clothes made from papaya fibres are a unique thing to buy as well.
Tip! Factory Shop of Uttarakhand Textile Development Corporation in Pandegaon on Naukuchiatal-Road sells this kind of product.
5 Pine Tree Craftworks
The stuff made from fallen pinecones is also remarkable pieces of souvenir to buy from the gift shops of Nainital.
These kinds of craftwork are readily available at many tourist places in Nainital and Bhim Tal. The price begins from somewhere around Rs 100.
My View: The shops located near Naukuchiatal can be checked for pine craft items as they seemed to have a reasonable price.
6 Bells of Ghorakhal’s Golu Temple
The Brass Bells are offered as a prayer to Lord Golu at Ghorakhal Temple of Nainital.
Golu Devta i.e Lord Golu is a legendary mythological and historical God of the Kumaun region of Uttarakhand state of India. The temple is situated on a small hilltop.
Interestingly, you can see thousands of bells of all sizes hanging all over the temple periphery. For that matter is also known as the bell temple of Nainital.
My View : The bells can be purchased from the vendors near Golu Temple. The price of these bells outside Ghorakhal temple range between Rs 51 to 5000.
7 Bal Mithai Sweet
Bal Mithai is the most famous sweet of Nainital.
The speciality sweet of Uttarakhand is made from dried evaporated milk solids (khoya). The cholate brown colour delicacy is decorated coated with white sugar balls.
My View: You can buy these sweets from Mamu’s Naini Sweets or Saraswati Vegetarian Restaurant in Bara Bazaar. These two are the most reputed ones among several sweet shops of Nainital.
I am a traveller, adventure seeker and blogger who has extensively travelled across India. I share here the useful tips, stories and my experiences that may come handy to you as well!