Thank you for the suggestions everyone. I definitely prefer your ideas to the generic ones proposed by my relatives i.e Jamdani sari/'hirar tops'....
My mother doesn't like gadgets and doesn't wear flashy jewelry. I'm also not sure if she'd really need the 'classic' English Lit. books as she has most of them already and teaches them in her classes. Maybe a painting or a charitable donation in her name may be more appreciated...
@Poorfan, I wish I could spend some time with either of my parents! I hope to go visit them soon.