Car Street is the commercial lifeline of the beach town of Gokarna. The street is flanked by shops and stalls selling various colorful wares. Shopping here is one rewarding way to engage with the local community and the people of Gokarna. Most speak Kannada or Konkani but you can manage well with English and a bit of Hindi too. Decades of hippie influx have seasoned the shopkeepers to communicate and sell their products to foreigners with considerable ease as well.
Brass lamps and Pooja items
– Gokarna being the temple beach town it is, offers you an array of things that a devotee would like to take home as souvenirs or use for the poojas from here which are brass lamps, trishuls, paintings of deities, incense sticks, stands, rudraksha malas, bracelets, conches and many more religious items.
Clothing and apparel
– In Car Street, you can purchase hippie clothes, psychedelic T-shirts with religious symbols and really comfortable beach wear. You can also go for the Karnataka special panche shalya which is a wrap around or cotton sarees if you want something that spells tradition.
Musical Equipment and Instruments
– There are a few shops in Car Street that also sell melodic musical instruments if you are inclined to music but they pertain to mostly percussion instruments along with a few sitars and guitars. Kallu Sarkarre – This is a sweet which is a specialty of the region in and around Gokarna, a sweet candy that is made locally. So do buy and stock your kitchens with some of these delicious sweets. You can crunch them just like that for a distinctive and refreshing hit of sweetness or give an interesting twist to your desserts by substituting this for any other sweet and satisfy your sugar cravings.
The beloved books
– The idyllic settings of the beach and the comfortable lounges at Gokarna’s resorts are perfect for sitting with a book and indulging in undistracted reading sessions and relaxing. But if you have forgotten to bring some or didn’t have the space for them in your travel bags, do not worry or panic, cause apart from the privately owned libraries of a few welcoming residents, there is the Sri Radhakrishna book store in Car street which is an old bookshop with a good selection of spiritual literature, Indian fiction, and a number of secondhand books in European languages however it is open only between the months of October to March and the timings are between 10 am to 6 pm daily.
Organic and Herbal stores in Gokarna – Handmade soaps, health foods and spices all grown naturally are available for the health conscious and environment conscious at highly affordable and reasonable prices.
What all can you buy and shop for in Kumta
– In the relatively more laid-back town of Kumta, the market street called Paent is much shorter than the Car Street. The local market sells vegetables, trinkets, flowers and other essential items and goods. But there are a couple of things Kumta is known for. So while you are here make sure you fill your shopping bags with them and take back some essential goods.
The Handicrafts -A
At Kumta, you can get handicrafts that seal the art and culture of this region in their beautiful yet small frames. These are excellent gifts and souvenirs that will attract attention and envy from other people. Do check out the Mahalasa handicrafts shop, near Shantika Parameshwari temple for the best buys and offers on traditional handicrafts.
Cashew Nuts craze- The rich and highly crunchy cashew nuts are a must-buy from this region. Sahyadri Cashew is the brand that is recommended by most visitors who visit this region.
The hot tongue burning spices –
The Malabar and Konkan coast has enticed the travelers from the wild west with the scent of their spices for several centuries. This part of the coast still produces spices that lift you off the ground and turn the heat up in your culinary dishes. Souring agents like Kokum, Dalimbi, pickled Triphal and Ambada are typical of the Konkan and North Kanara coast and are must buys from here and will make every dish at your dinner table be savoured and remembered by everyone enjoying their taste.
Our resort in Gokarna is a very fine resort and is the perfect place for you to stay when you visit Gokarna. You can relax and rejuvenate at our resort in Gokarna during your spare time. After you are done exploring the beaches and the markets of Gokarna, you can enjoy a traditional Ayurvedic massage or a Yoga session at our resort in Gokarna and rejuvenate your mind and soul.
