NEW DELHI: Delhi government celebrated the 28th Foundation Day of Dilli Haat at INA on Monday.
Inaugurated in March 1994, Dilli Haat is an open-air marketplace that accommodates thousands of handicraft and handloom artisans, apart from showcasing Indian art, heritage, cuisine, and cultural activities.
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said that the unique bazaar in the heart of the city displays the richness of Indian culture on a permanent basis. He said it gives an opportunity to artists from several states to connect with the consumers directly. Over the years, Dilli Haat has encouraged deserving artists from across the country to sustain and preserve the rich heritage of the country, he said.
“The Haat is very close to the hearts of the residents of Delhi and is also one of the prominent places to visit for travellers to Delhi. It provides the atmosphere of a traditional village market in the heart of the city where people can enjoy craft, cuisine, and cultural activities of different states in one place,” Sisodia said in a statement.
He further said that Delhi government is taking proactive steps to bring the economy back on track by creating new employment opportunities after the Covid-19 pandemic badly affected the economy and the livelihood of artisans.
He said the tourism sector will play a major role in generating employment in Delhi and tourist places like Dilli Haat will emerge as its hub.
Sisodia also appealed to the visitors to come up with suggestions to make this marketplace more beautiful and shopper-friendly as well. Spread over an area of six acres, Dilli Haat is a major attraction for tourists from India and abroad.
The government said in the statement that daily visitors to Dilli Haat INA run into the thousands, and reach up to 20,000 during the festival season.
‘Artists from different states are provided a platform by the government to display and sell their products so that they can sell it without the intervention of middlemen,’ it said
