Namaste is a two-year-old business selling clothes, accessories, and jewelry from India. The store, which recently moved to a new location in downtown Tainan, has items that you won't find elsewhere in the city, and which you may not find anywhere else in Taiwan.

The store's name is derived from a common greeting in India, which can be translated as "The spirit in me honors the spirit in you." The young owner, Miss Jiang, imports items from India with the help of her sister, who lives in Jaipur. According to Miss Jiang, Namaste's customers are mostly women aged 20 to 40, but some men do come in shopping for shirts.

Whatever your budget, you're sure to find something suitable. Rings are priced NT$100 to NT$3,000; clothes begin at NT$190; and small household decorations go for NT$100 and up. At the other end of the price range, there are handmade, hand-embroidered skirts for NT$12,000, and a vintage leather bag decorated with small pieces of glass that could be yours for NT$30,000.

Skirts and special pants are the most popular items, says Miss Jiang. There are also sandals, cotton and silk scarfs (from NT$390), quilts (NT$2,000 to about NT$4,500), curtains, twenty different kinds of incense, earrings, bracelets, anklets, and necklaces. Much of the jewelry is silver, and features semi-precious stones.
If color and comfort are important to you, and you want something that stands out in a crowd, have a browse in Namaste!