For modern garba buys, head to Janpath; Lajpat Nagar for traditional wear

Dandiya nights are one occasion people look forward to during the festive season, and looking their best is on everyone’s mind. However, the question of whether it is worth buying an expensive outfit just for one night always comes up, so instead, you can explore the city’s flea markets to buy something special for the occasion.
Those looking to buy something other than the usual lehenga-cholis while not burning a hole in their pocket have plenty of funky options to choose from at Delhi’s flea markets.
Janpath goes modern
Janpath’s main market has skirts, modern-looking dhotis and tops that would look perfect on dandiya night. Shankar Kumar, a shopkeeper at Janpath, says, "People don’t like the usual lehenga-cholis nowadays, and that’s why we’re selling skirts and tops. They look like the garba skirts, but are lightweight and can be worn on other occasions too. We’re also selling dhotis because people like to experiment with their look. The skirts cost `300 and the tops sell for `250. The dhoti is a little more expensive – around `500."
Shalini Kanojia, who was buying a skirt at Janpath, said, "I wanted to buy something that can be worn after the festive season as well. For dandiya nights, we end up buying outfits that we wear only once, so these skirts and tops come to our rescue."
Arun, who owns a shop in Janpath, says, "We have halter-neck garba tops for girls that aren’t expensive and are selling fast."
Skirts, halter-neck tops and dhotis at Janpath for those who want to wear something different on dandiya night (BCCL)
Gujarati market for traditional lehengas
The back lanes of Janpath has lehengas with intricate embroidery done by artisans. Ashish Halvadia, who has a stall in the market, says, "The prices of our lehengas start from `1,500 and go up to `2,500. People who know that it isn’t possible to get these ethnic lehengas anywhere else come here."
Gita Gujrati, another stall owner, says, "Humare saare achhe piece bik gaye hain. Lehenge `1,200 se start hote hain aur `4,000 tak bikte hain."
Lajpat goes ethnic
If you’re going to Lajpat Nagar to buy your garba outfit, you’ll find skirts and tops similar to the ones found in Janpath. The clothes here have less bling, but cost around the same. You can also find ethnic designs at Lajpat too, but they are comparatively costlier – starting at `650. Raina Aggarwal, a shopper, says, "Last year, I bought a traditional lehenga, but this time I decided to try something modern for garba. I’ve only bought a skirt because I have a kurti that will go with it. Phir main yeh ek lehenga dobara bhi pehen sakti hoon."
Rohit Verma, a stall owner, says, "Jabse Navaratra shuru huye hain, log sirf dandiya ke hi kapde lene aa rahein hain. Hum jo skirts laye thay, woh bik gayein hain, ab naya stock, designs layenge."
Sarojini Nagar not an option for dandiya clothes
If you plan to go to Sarojini Nagar for garba shopping, then you might just come back empty handed, as there aren’t many skirts, dhotis or tops available that would be apt for dandiya night.