Dilli Haat - Craft & Food Bazaar of Delhi, India
A Window Filled With Myriad Colors & Vibrant Contrasts
Nov 9, 2009
Dilli Haat in Delhi, India, is a glimpse of India’s rich cultural heritage, craft and cuisine. This beautiful Indian Crafts and Food Bazaar is a shoppers’ paradise that lures tourists round the year. While on one hand it gives an exposure to the artisans of the country, on the other hand it gives a clear picture of Indian art and culture to its visitors.
Development of Dilli Haat
The Dilli Haat Food and Craft Bazaar is an ambitious joint venture of Delhi Tourism & Transportation Development Corporation (DTDC) and New Delhi Municipal Committee. It has received technical and financial support from the Ministry of Textiles through the offices of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) and Development Commissioner (Handlooms).
The object of Dilli Haat is to provide encouragement to needy artists in the country and also to sustain and preserve the rich heritage of India. It also provides marketing facilities to rural artisans and craft persons without the middle men. Besides offering the tourists the arts and handicrafts of the country at one place, it also presents the cuisine and performing arts from different parts of India.
A piece of land measuring six acres belonging to New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Sri Aurobindo Marg opposite the INA Market was initially an open drain. It was identified by Delhi Tourism and NDMC for setting up of a Food & Craft Bazaar there. It was kept in mind that when a Haat (market) comes to the city, it had to adjust with the urban contemporary needs and at the same time retain the cultural ambience familiar to rural people.
Dilli Haat thus came into being, and for years Dilli Haat has in its own way been successful in bridging the rural – urban divide. It is a temporary structure with a number of specially designed stalls with facilities for the skilled rural craftsmen to represent each state of India. The market also has authentic Indian cuisine of various Indian states. This Food & Craft Bazaar is the first attempt to provide leisure and recreational facilities for tourists in the lines of Newton Circus of Singapore.
Architecture of Dilli Haat
The architecture of Dilli Haat is in the traditional north Indian style, with lattice work and stone roofs. The complex has an exhibition hall and two pavilions where crafts societies and other government sponsored agencies put up exhibitions of the handlooms and handicrafts in consultation with Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) and Development Commissioner (Handlooms). A permanent souvenir shop here displays attractive ethnic products. The small thatched roof cottages and kiosks, minus the concrete structures provide a village atmosphere.
Dilli Haat has an area of 27,000 sq.m. which has been developed as a park where the constructed area has been limited to 10% of the total plot area. The complex has the ambience of a traditional village market. Stalls are set up on platforms which act as a link in the bazaar design. The courtyards between the shops are paved with stone and brickwork skillfully interspersed with grass, flowering shrubs and towering eucalyptus trees. There is also a play corner for children.
Unlike the traditional weekly markets that are mobile, Dilli Haat is a permanent one. The crafts section has a total number of 62 stalls. The craftsmen are invited on a rotation basis to participate here. The stalls are allotted for a maximum 15 days to these state level craftsmen and artisans from all over the country at a payment of mere INR 100 a day. This ensures visitors buy authentic wares at prices that have not been inflated by high maintenance costs.
The Shopping Market
The stalls sell beads, brassware, gems, camel hide footwear, fabric and drapery, rosewood and sandalwood carvings, and metal crafts. There are also tribal patchwork, embroidered saris, traditional paintings, Pashmina shawls, Kolhapuri chappals, Dokra jewelry, cane furniture, colorful glass bangles, and jute products. Every item is a work of art and carries rich traces of the region it comes from.
The food section consists of 16 big and 9 small stalls and is a venue for regional food festivals. There are as many as 25 food stalls and the food is clean, hygienically prepared and reasonably priced. Regional food festivals are held here and people come to this place just to taste these mouth-watering delicacies. One is spoilt for choice here when it comes to matters of taste.
Preparation for Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India, between 3rd October and 14th October 2010. The Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation is working round-the-clock to better the facilities at Dilli Haat. It has already completed civil and electric works. Apart from a Tourist Information Centre set up near the ticket windows, an ATM is also installed.
An amphitheatre is being redesigned, green rooms being upgraded to international standards, to host cultural events during the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Various embassies are also being invited to organize the food festival.
A trip to Dilli Haat is worth it. The nominal entrance fee to Dilli Haat is Rs. 15/- for an adult and Rs.5/- for a child.
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