Amid Toronto’s vivid multiculturalism, colorful streaks of India will enthrall visitors, with all the sights and flavors found in Gerrard Street’s Little India. For everything from eclectic collections of Indian wears and accessories, handicrafts, paintings and sculptures, to books, spices and an extravagance of musical instruments – head to the shops of Little India. To spice up your Canadian life, here are 10 must-visit shops in Toronto’s Little India.
Chandan Fashion Center Inc.
Building, Store
The bright cyan and magenta colored building of Chandan Fashion can be easily spotted in the heart of Gerrard Street. The boutique store hosts an extensive collection of women’s wedding sarees, lehengas and other wedding outfits for both men and women as well as casual and evening wear apparels in gorgeous, sparkling Indian designs and brilliant colors. Specializing in outfits that blend tradition with modernity, you’re bound to find unique and innovative fashion wear. Also make sure you check out the stunning designs on their Instagram account.
India is famous for its bold and complex cuisine. Kohinoor Foods has everything in store to create awesome Indian flavors in the kitchens of Canadian homes. The store equips customers with the fragrant Indian spices and gourmet grocery supplies that are needed for preparing scrumptious Indian recipes. Customers will also find kitchen equipment needed to cook unique oriental dishes.
For explorers of new cultures, a visit to the Maharani Emporium in Little India could be an enriching experience. Here, there are scores of books to enlighten readers on Hinduism, the world’s most ancient religion, as well as ones on the science and principles of the globally popular practices of yoga, astrology and Ayurveda. There are also Indian worship items, sculptures and pictures on display in the store. Fine silver jewellery with intricate and beautiful designs is also sold here.
Bollywood Music Center
Music and dance has always played an important role in Indian culture. Consider nearly every Bollywood film; musicals representing emotions in the form of songs and dances, using music to express diverse feelings of love, hate, friendship, disgust, pleasure and peace. The Bollywood Music Center attempts to bring these sounds and melodies of India to Toronto in the form of its wide and varied collection of CDs and DVDs. These feature Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi songs that have enthralled and inspired Indians for generations.
Kitchen Queen
Shop, Store
Unsurprising, given its name, this shop is the ideal spot for cookery shopping, but there is much more in store for its customers. This store is a must visit for those who love to learn about new cultures and want to have an insight into the Hindu religion and its deities or avatars. Here there are colorful, elegant idols of Shiva, Ganesha, Laxshmi, Durga, Krishna and Radha, as well as a number of other Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Besides the idols, there are also a number of other items which are used by Hindus for worshipping deities, such as brass utensils to serve food and water to the Gods (known as prasadam), bells and conch shells.
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Neelam Silk
Shop, Store
India is famous for its vast variety of silk fabrics, with lustrous textures and elegant appeal. Neelam Silk store in Little India is worth visiting for an introduction to the extravagance of Indian silk products. Here, Indian wedding wear, Kanjipuram silk materials, silk sarees, and cut work sarees are all available. A visit to the store itself will enchant the customer with all the vibrant colors and designs on display.
Rang Home Decor
Little India’s well-known home decor store, the Rang Home Decor, offers a splendid collection of imported furnishings, fabrics, home accents, bed sets, pillows and cushions. Rang in Hindi means color, which is exactly what you’ll find at Rang. Rang Home Decor represents the stunning handicrafts of India including embroidery work, beadwork, mirror work, applique, patch work and more. The vibrant color range of the products includes deep pinks, jade greens, royal blues, golden yellows and of course, hot reds. Featuring Indian furniture like intricately carved wooden benches and unique rocking chairs and Indian folk art, this store perfectly represents the ethos of India.
For foodies and cooks who love to explore and prepare worldwide cuisines, the BJ Supermarket in Little India has a lot to offer. Here, you’ll find spices, pickles, Indian spiced tea and coffee, tropical fruits and vegetables, Indian cottage cheese (paneer), parathas and rotis. For those with a sweet tooth, BJ’s is a small haven, with its authentic and delectable Indian sweets like jalebis, laddoos, canned rosogollas, and more.
Jhumka Jewellery may be a small store, but it’s brimming with dazzling and colorful jewelry. Customers can find jewelry for almost all types of occasion – from Indian weddings, to evening parties, to casual wear. The store attempts to create products that mix tradition with modern preferences to create intricate showpieces.
India Paan
When you tire of shopping in Little India, there are enough restaurants and food joints around that provide delectable Indian cuisines. A local favorite is Indian Paan. Little India is the ideal place to experience the taste of mouthwatering Indian street food and of course, the paan(combination of betel leaf and areca nut). India Paan offers typical Indian street food like bhel puri, pani puri, chaat papdi, and more. If you’re thirsty, try the faloodas, lassis and juices.
Oishimaya is an Indian native, currently residing in Toronto, Canada. She has earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from India and is presently engaged in full-time freelance writing. She travels widely and loves mingling with people of eclectic cultures and also participates in activities concerning wildlife conservation. She is a great lover of the outdoors and grabs every opportunity she can of spending time in the lap of nature.
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