Page 62 - Heart of India

• Agra is known for exquisite marble inlay items.

• Rajasthan for miniature paintings, fabrics with block prints, marvelous tie-dye and
embroidered fabrics.

• Beautiful brocades and crepe silk come from Varanasi.

• Phulkari, a stylized geometric embroidery, is popular in Amritsar and the Punjab region,
commonly found on scarves, shawls, and other types of clothing.

• 4Y /SL]LX^SLWL dZ`ɪWW ʭYO ?TMP_LY ^_dWP T_PX^ ^`NS L^ []LdP] ʮLR^ ^TYRTYR MZbW^ LYO
Buddhist icons.

Bargaining: Bargaining is the norm in India, where anything sold by a street vendor and
LWXZ^_ LYd_STYR TY L ^XLWWP] ^SZ[ SL^ L ʮPcTMWP []TNP 3ZbPaP] WL]RP] ^_Z]P^ bTWW SLaP
ʭcPO []TNP^

Bhutan

Popular Bhutan souvenirs include postage stamps, lovely hand-woven fabrics, carved masks,
bZaPY ML^VP_^ _SLYRVL^ bZZOPY MZbW^ SLYOXLOP [L[P] LYO ʭYPWd N]LQ_PO XP_LW ZMUPN_^ 4Y
Bhutan, the buying and selling of antiques is strictly forbidden.
Bargaining: Bargaining is a common practice in Bhutan, especially with street vendors and in
^XLWWP] ^SZ[^ 7L]RP] ^_Z]P^ bTWW SLaP ʭcPO []TNP^

Nepal

Popular buys include locally made textile objects such as lopsided topis (caps), knitted mittens
and socks, and cotton scroll paintings called mandala or thanka. Contemporary Nepalese art,
saranghi (a small, four-stringed viola played with a horse-hair bow), papier mâché dance
XL^V^ -`OOST^_ ^_L_`P__P^ LYO ʭWTR]PP Z]YLXPY_^ bZZONL]aTYR^ MLXMZZ ʮ`_P^ LYO Z_SP]
folk objects are also popular.

Bargaining: Bargaining is normal in Nepal when dealing with street vendors and smaller
^SZ[^ _SZ`RS WL]RP] ^_Z]P^ bTWW SLaP ʭcPO []TNP^

U.S. Customs Regulations & Shipping Charges

For all things related to U.S. Customs, the ultimate authority is the U.S. Bureau of Customs &
Border Protection. Their website, www.cbp.gov has the answers to the most frequently asked
questions. Or you can call them at 1-877-227-5511.

The top three points to know are:

• At time of writing, your personal duty-free allowance is $800 for items brought with
you. Items totaling more than $800 are subject to duty fees.

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