Shakira goes on shopping spree for Indian clothes, books and music

Colombian mega-star Shakira went on a shopping spree after performing in India, buying cotton saris, books on Indian spirituality and a good luck charm meant to ward off the evil eye, a newspaper reported Thursday.

Photo: Shakira goes on shopping spree for Indian clothes, books and music

Shakira performed to a packed house in Mumbai, the country's entertainment and financial center, on Sunday. Before heading out a day later, her staff tore through the city's shopping districts, the Times of India reported, and also had hotel staff download hundreds of Indian songs for her.

"Shakira was very curious about desi (Indian) books and music," Illan Weill, the manager of the Grand Hyatt hotel where she stayed, was quoted as saying by the Times. "She ensured that we packed her books and music CDs, among other things."

But there was one item she couldn't take home - the nimbu mirchi, a bunch of limes and peppers strung together and hung from car fenders and door frames to keep the evil away. The Times reported that she wanted one that would last, so she bought a silver replica instead of getting the real thing.