As a child, I would visit my paternal grandparents during my vacations, without fail. They used to live in a village that, in those days did not enjoy the benefits of a city. But this never made my trips to my ancestral home any less exciting. I looked forward to the long vacations, during summer and October. Now, this is the base of the post I am about to pen down today as I take a trip down memory lane. Of all the exciting, at times crazy and enjoyable things I did there, the one that definitely needs a mention is my visits to the 'haat'. The bullock cart rides to the haat, those days were like a trip to some exotic place ( that was how I felt! ). As we all know, it is a local term, a regional word used to describe an open market place. These days we have the equivalents like potters' market, farmers' market and so many more. During those 'no mall and supermarket' days, people mainly depended upon these all important haats to buy and sell their wares and produce.
I loved the energy palpable in those haats. And though Dilli Haat does not exactly resemble our village haats, it has a certain rawness about it; resonates with positive vibes and energy. Several trips to Dilli Haat during my two years in the NCR, made me fall in love with the place. The more I visited it, the more I got drawn towards it. And this attraction starts from the entrance. The splashes of colour greet the visitors immediately as the eyes meet the first stall displaying gorgeous Madhubani paintings. The colourful discovery continues as one visits stall after stall, each one appearing to be better than the other, more colourful, more vibrant, the hues and tones falling short of names; the truly colourful journey making one so addictive that it is difficult to leave the place. At least this has been my state each time I visited Dilli Haat. It seems as if the rainbow of colours unfold themselves, one at a time, layer after layer, creating a beautiful tapestry. To top it all, there are the performances by the rural artists, charging up the ambiance. The aroma of food wafting in the air, makes the place even more inviting. After all, who would not want to settle down for a cup of sweetened, strong masala chai laced with cardamoms after a enjoyable bout of shopping, a bit of bargaining with the shop-keepers or maybe stop midway through shopping to gain some energy. For accompaniments, the menu has a wide variety from the four corners of our country to choose from.
I shall not fill in too many words in this post. Let the photographs say it all. Enjoy the visuals as you walk through the haat. Choose from the pretty knick knacks, textiles, rugs and a lot more for your home. And now join me as I stroll through the stalls of Dilli Haat soaking in the afternoon sun on a cold wintery day .......
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| That's the entrance.....come on in.......... |
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| The totally charged feel inside as these folk artists from Rajasthan perform live, entertainment, colours, energy, you have them all..... |
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| a slice of the beautiful state of Kashmir......... |
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| I loved this stall. Kashmiri embroidered cushion covers, runners, durries, all vying for attention, one better than the other,,,,,, |
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| I was completely in love with this particular stall. I stood glued in front of these beauties and wished I could carry a couple of them back home.... |
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| What a pretty tea-cozy! For a tea-lover like me, this is just perfect! Pity we don't get to use these here in our city...... |
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| Some day, I must plan a trip to Kashmir ; for the sake of these gorgeous textiles ( This paradise needs to be explored! )..... |
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| As if the rainbow has descended down......... |
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| Totally in love with these earthen wares....... |
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| Cushion covers are my weaknesses......... |
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Colour, colour, which colour do you choose?
There were many more stalls to cover. But lack of time did not permit me to take a look at all those beautiful ones. I hope you enjoyed the colourful trip through Dilli Haat. Maybe you could plan one and experience the beauty of the place. For all those decor lovers, this place is a shoppers' paradise and most certainly should feature in your list of places to visit. |
