Chennai leads the rest of the country when it comes to the retail experience. The mall culture began here, as some of the swankiest and largest retail stores set up shop here first. But Chennai's special is of course silk saris laced with gold and in a whole spectrum of colours. T. Nagar is where the leading brands Nalli, Kumaran, RmKV and Chennai Silks have their outlets. T.Nagar is not just a shopper's den but also a way of experiencing certain eccentric aspects of Chennai. Shops such as Saravana Selvarathnam and Pothys are perennially crowded and a proof of the average Chennaiites craze for buying. However meager may the purchase be, the mamis and mamas of Chennai will throng one shop after another till they are absolutely sure of what they buy? At T.Nagar's Usman Rd. you may have unique experiences like not being able to cross a 5-metre road for more than 5 minutes (due to the vehicles that zig-zag past!) In fact, if you like to indulge in weird experiences, try getting to the end of the congested Renganathan Street in T.Nagar. The fun is you need not walk, the swarms of people will carry you along? Bet you wouldn't have seen such a congregation of humanity elsewhere! Pondy Bazaar in T.Nagar has a line of shops, selling fruits to footwear, spread on the narrow footpaths. You can hone your skills in bargaining while shopping here! These footpaths are however, interspersed with large shops too such as Naidu Hall and Rathna Stores. Parry's, a commercial hub in Chennai, derived its name from the art deco EID Parry building that came here in the 1890's. Today you will find small, humble shops here huddled together and selling almost everything on earth. A perfect place to discover the typical, busy and noisy Indian bazaar is its Flower Market, locally called "Poo Kadai". You can tour the narrow lanes here while relishing juicy slices of pineapples or masaledar (spiced) cucumber sold by the roadside vendors. There is a lovely Jain temple nearby, in Mint Rd. where you can stop by. The intricately carved tall wooden doors, the white marble flooring and the serene atmosphere is soul rejuvenating. There is a small shop selling cool drinks nearby; stop for refreshing badam milk there. For handicrafts, including stone and woodcarving and gold-leaf painting, visit Cottage Emporium and Poompuhar (both on Anna Salai). Also here is the Victoria Technical Institute where you will find excellent Tanjore Art metal ware, silver jewellery and the like. Kalpa Druma (Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram) stores exquisite handicrafts with an extensive collection of traditional carvings in sandal / rose wood, white cedar and walnut, wrought iron figurines, exclusive paintings, wide range of mirrors and selective bidri work. If you have a penchant for the old world, visit the tiny and nearly unnoticeable Old Curiosity Shop in Mount Rd., opposite Spencer's, where you can find a mind-boggling array of antiques. If interested in mall hopping then Spencer Plaza on Mount Road, Ispahani Centre on Nungambakkam High Road. and Alsa Mall and Fountain Plaza (both in Egmore) are among the best. Lifestyle, a multi-brand store in it's new location Dr Radhakrishna Salai Road, and Shopper's Stop in Harrington Road., Chetpet, are other up-market shops. Khader Nawaz Khan Road in Nungambakkam has some high-end boutiques and textile showrooms where you may like to buy some designer clothes and the like. Talk a walk across the road to find for yourself some interesting shops to stop by. Evoluzione, Auroville are a few to name. Vimonisha Art Gallery showcases interesting collections of clothes, home d'r objects, collectibles from time to time. Call to find out what's happening there- Ph.28278911/ 9815, 28237881. If you want to shop for books and stationery head straight to Landmark in Spencer Plaza/ Nungambakkam, Higginbotham's (in Mount Rd, opposite LIC bus-stand), Book Point (Opp. Spencer's), Good Books (76, Abhiramapuram, 4th street) and Odyssey (Gandhinagar, Adyar). For alternative reading material visit Oasis Books (17, Kutchery Road. Mylapore).