PARDES
bussiness
&
CULTURE
Bazaars
of India for a Lifetime Experience
Winter is the time for fairs and exhibitions in India. Diffused sunlight filtering through late
misty mornings and hazy afternoons makes visiting these Indian bazaars a balmy delight
for men, women, teenagers, and children. There is something for everybody.
Dastkarivenue where exhibitions are Pushkar Melayear on the day of
Haat
Dilli Hat is a
This fair is held every
held on a regular basis throughout the winter. This location in South Delhi beside the
INA market is easily accessible by road and
rail. Among the various fairs that are held in
this venue, Dastkari Haat is of special mention. It is an exhibition of not only trendy
handcrafted items, but also artwork whose
techniques originated several centuries ago.
The specialty of this bazaar lies in its presentation. This is an outdoor event where
craftsmen bring their creations in cloth,
wool, leather, paper mache, wicker, glass and
metals such as brass, copper and aluminum.
There are assortments of paintings, home
décor items, ethnic jewelry, and even food
items for your selection. Madhubani paintings, Kashmiri shawls, chikan kurtas from
Lucknow, glass- and bead-embroidered Gujarati ghagras, limestone utensils from Rajasthan, inlaid furniture from Karnataka, wicker
furniture from the North East, and coir mats
from Kerala all find a place of prominence in
this annually held Delhi bazaar.
This haat is not only a place for the buying and selling of handcrafted items and
other products, but it is also a venue for performances. Dancers and singers dressed in
traditional costumes and performing local
numbers create the ideal Indian ambiance
inside this Dastakari Haat. This was the fair’s
28th year in operation.
52 PARDES MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2014
the full moon during the Indian month of
Kartik (mostly in November, and sometimes
in October) in Rajasthan. Though this bazaar
is famous for the trading of camels, horses
and cattle, it is, in fact, an exhibition of color,
exuberance and gaiety. It is a lifetime experience to be present in this fair that lasts a
fortnight every year. Villagers not only from
Rajasthan, but also from the adjoining states
of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana, gather
in this fair.
In this assembly of about a half a million
peo K