Dilli Haat at the Capital’s Indian National Airways market was first established in 1994 as a novel experiment to bridge the divide between cities and villages. Aimed primarily to help rural artisans preserve their rich heritage of traditional arts and crafts and sustain their livelihood, it provides them space to sell their goods directly. Over two decades it has done well as a popular destination for local and foreign visitors for leisure and shopping. Here one can see and buy varied goods such as handwoven carpets to silk saris, brassware to carved sandalwood and rosewood products while savouring regional cuisines and cultural programmes.
Realising its importance, Mona Sinha and Manjari Chaturvedi, professors of English, wrote a paper titled, “Bringing the Haat to the City: The Socio-Cultural and Commercial Dynamics of Dilli Haat” on INA’s Dilli Haat, published in Volume III of “Re-storying the Indigenous and the Popular Imaginary” (Authorspress). For them, it was indeed a fascinating study. “Dilli Haat was the first of its kind which transformed the traditional rural haat into a crafts village and set it up in modern Delhi urban space within the enclosures of a permanent structure. Its success has inspired replication in other parts of the country like Shiligram at Swabhumi in Kolkata and Ekamrahaat at Bhubaneshwar in Odisha,” remarks Sinha.
Dilli Haat’s major achievement, Sinha feels, is the amalgamation of a vibrant country fair with urban sensibilities. “Its thatched roof cottages without any concrete structures, shops laid out on platforms along with provision of hygienic convenience facilities, greenery and banking facilities fits very neatly in the cityscape.” She feels it has something for everyone. “Dilli Haat snugly fits the size of each pocket,” she quips.
The haat has done more than bridging gap between urban and rural folks. Explaining, Sinha says, “There is a equalisation in the sense that one sees a fashion designer and a college student buying fabric from a Chanderi stall while an Assamese cane artisan displays goods next to those of a Jaipur silver craftsman.” She emphasises that “the exchange happening there has definitely led to transformation and evolution in the processes of craft, making artisans aware of other skills and arts and adapt to changing tastes and fashion.” She cites instances like contemporary motifs existing alongside mythological motifs from Ramayan and Mahabharat in Madhubani paintings and Odisha’s ikat weavers keeping more stoles than duppattas because of the trend.
Despite its success Dilli Haat suffers due to over commercialisation and over familiarisation and influx of cheap craft substitutes. “Other than the genuine exhibitions such as Dastkaari Haat Mela, Master Craftsmen, India Weaves and maybe one or two others, Dilli Haat has perpetual inexpensive time-pass items which draw attention away from the innovations by the authentic crafts-persons. Corruption has enabled the same sellers, who are actually middlemen, to be present throughout the year.” Still, she feels, Dilli Haat continues to be relevant for Delhi and its people. “It brings the slices of true Bharat to the modern Capital of India.”