Akhara Bazaar is the long market street that runs north from the centre of Kullu. It is the place to buy the traditional Kullu shawl — geometric borders on plain wool, woven on hand looms in villages around the valley — as well as the woollen pattu, caps, and dried fruit that are the valley's specialities.
Prices in the cooperative shops (the Bhuttico outlets are the original cooperative, founded in 1944) are fixed and reasonable. The smaller private shops will haggle. Quality varies wildly: a real handwoven shawl will feel light and slightly uneven; a power-loom imitation will feel uniform and stiff.