Sunny Saturday at Dilli Haat

 

 

I had really been looking forward to meet my blogger friends N and AD for long and this weekend it actually happened. Janaury means winters in Northern India and a sunny day during winters is precious. The sun was in a good mood this Saturday and we made the best of it by deciding to meet for lunch at 12:30 p.m at Dilli haat. By the time I reached half-way, N was already there. After fifteen minutes, I was also standing at the entrance, chirping and laughing with her. She had already bought the ticket (cost Rs. 20) and now we just had to start our colorful day. AD was supposed to join us in sometime after her office.

 

 

 

 

This market as the name says is a permanent ‘haat’ of handicrafts and handlooms where beautiful arts and crafts from Indian states is showcased all round the year. Well Dilli Haat is special because nine years back when I had shifted to Delhi from Noida, this is the place where I had tasted my first momos and drank my first fruit beer. I remember I had done it with a friend from a school who lived in Chanakyapuri then. 

 

 

 

 

While we walked inside Dilli Haat, my eyes got arrested and excited at every stall that had gorgeous colors to speak of. Trust me, this market is a treat to the eyes. We couldn’t resist walking to each stall and photographing the stuff. The beauty of Dilli Haat is that its not about footwear and fashion accessories but more about art and crafts from talented craftsmen of the country. So even though you are in no mood to shop, you can always appreciate art and the work of the artisans. When we had touched upon few sections of the haat,  N and I  immediately decided to settle down to grab some bite. First thing, ‘Momos and Fruit beer’ was on our minds and we chose Megahalaya stall to savor the fun. 

 

 

 

After the relishing treat and some heartful conversations, we walked to the portion of the haat that was hosting 4th Delhi Literature Festival.  While we were enjoying the discussion around Delhi’s heritage and books, AD called us and we excitedly ran to meet her. The three of us had planned many getaways in last few weeks but each had failed due to our individual engagements at different times. The three of us had lots to talk but of course since we are all travelers from heart, we couldn’t resist the idea of exploring every nook and cranny of the haat. Each one of us wanted to take back beautiful stories and colorful memories from here.

 

 

 

 

After a stroll from one end to another, we were absolutely  high on colors and attractive stuff. Dilli haat has 60+ stalls and covering them all is not tough. But yes, for the shopaholics in you, its gonna be tough to keep safe without splurging. Since this is the place where you get stuff from different states of India, it automatically becomes costly. We did not buy much but settled down to eat once again. This time, it was litti chokha and litti chicken on our platters. After the Bihari treat to our taste buds, we also attended the Delhi Lit Fest evening session where the elite panelists (Tasleema Nasreen on the extreme right) talked about intolerance. The debate was honest and thought-provoking.

 

 

 

 

We stayed for some more time, talked our stuff, clicked pictures and then went around to check out some more cuisines from other states. Since it was already time for evening snacks after the sun had set, the light bites from Maharastra state looked attractive and we did not make any attempt to stop our temptations. Soon some more food was on our table. And whenever we sat down to talk, we had loads to discuss. Girls will be girls!! By 7 p.m. we said our goodbyes only to meet again soon. Here are some postcards from Dilli Haat. Hope you will enjoy them.

 

 

 

 

Do tell me whats your favorite from Dilli Haat!