Are you the first time visitor to New Delhi and want to visit a place to find good clothing and accessories for you and your home along with endless dining options? If yes, then Dilli Haat is the most-recommended destination for you. Located on Sri Aurobindo Marg, opposite INA Market, Dilli Haat is a rural market set in urban setting and truly makes New Delhi proud.
Set on the pattern of weekly markets in rural India, Dilli Haat is the brainchild of Jaya Jaitley, Samata Party leader. This joint venture project of Delhi Tourism and the New Delhi Municipal Corporation was officially inaugurated on March 28, 1994 and aims to provide additional marketing outlets to the genuine craftsmen of India.
Rural market set against urban settings
The huge palatial complex of Dilli Haat is developed on six acres of land. The moment you enter onto this stone and brick precincts, you are bound to be enchanted by the rustic ambience of the place. Move further and you notice there are small thatched-roofs, brick-and-mortar cottages surrounded by statuesque palms and tall eucalyptus trees. All this accompanied by colourful plants and flowers create a mixed yet balanced image of rural and urban India.
Options you find at Dilli Haat
Dilli Haat is the only place in India that offers you opportunity to purchase handicrafts, plan your wardrobe and enjoy mouthwatering cuisines from around 25 states of India. To entertain you there are different cultural programmes, presented by the local artists of different regions of India.
What can you purchase
Most people especially grown-ups get attracted to handicrafts stalls, displaying wares of different kinds. There are around 62 handicrafts stalls at Dilli Haat that display products of different states if India. If you want to buy the specialty of some specific region then visit the related stall, and most likely you will get it.
From Kullu’s caps, coats and shawls to Maharashtra’s Kolhapuri chappals; from Gujarat’s lehenga-choli and Kashmir’s trinkets to Bihar’s Madhubani paintings and Lucknawi chikan; from Hyderabadi pearls to Rajasthan’s handicrafts and embellished camel-hide footwear – you get all at Dilli Haat.
Not only this, you can even purchase classic furniture for your home or office. Besides cane garden chairs, rocking chairs, sofas, and sofa-cum-beds you also get the famous teak wood furniture from Assam. Decorate your home with beautiful chandeliers and wind-chime or be proud to own a telephone set from a bygone era. Silver-plated tea-sets, brassware, and pottery- the list for items you can buy at Dilli Haat is endless.
Dining out at Dilli Haat
The International Food Plaza was the initial eating joint that offered ‘international food’ at Dilli Haat. But with the growing number of regional cuisines that food plaza had to be discontinued. Now there are various stalls that offer you a large variety of cuisines from various parts of India.
Amongst many food stalls at Dilli Haat, the stalls from the North-east are very popular and the ‘chicken momo’ is the most served food here. Visit the stalls of Tamil Nadu or Kerala for fresh and crispy dosas, and delicious idlis and uttampams. Goa stall is often crowded with tourists to get a taste of pork dishes like pork vindaloo.
Cultural activities at Dilli Haat
Fun does not end here as you can also enjoy different cultural activities and performances by the local artists of different regions of India. There is an open-air theatre that frequently holds folk music, songs and dances. Regional dances like bhangra, kathakali, and bharatnatyam are a regular feature of Dilli Haat.
Dilli Haat also organizes many regional festivals in collaboration with a state tourism department. The year begins with Pongal festival of Tamil Nadu and ends with Dilli Utsav in December. During regional festivals, local cuisine and local arts are performed by the artists of that region. Garden festival, Mango festival and Qutub festival are the other annual festivals organized at Dilli Haat.
Fun for children
The Dilli Haat authority recognizes well that children make a good percentage of visitors, so an exclusive playing area has been developed for kids at Dilli Haat. For kids, the occasional pantomime and puppet shows are a big draw.
The best time to visit
Though Dilli Haat has been open 365 days a year since the time of inception, winter is a good time of the year to visit the Haat. Strolling around in the sun for a couple of hours in the chilly weather of New Delhi is a pleasant experience. If visiting in summers then go there after 5 O’clock when the heat is not too enervating.
With so much variety at one place, Dilli Haat can be called the mini heart of India. So, if you are planning a trip to New Delhi then you must include it in your itinerary. This handicrafts bazaar of New Delhi is all determined to ensure that ages-old Indian arts & crafts that seem to be dying get a new lease of life and do not disappear due to lack of commercial exposure.