'Haat's off!

From Punjab's gajak to Assam's jute bags, Karnataka's bidari to Himachal's woollens, get all this and more at the Annual Craft Bazaar in Dilli Haat

Forgot the game of coffee that Deepika Padukone and Purab Kohli fight over, how about a game of poodminton this winter? Perplexed? Simply put, poodminton is a cross between badminton and table tennis, played with a ball made from bits of old T-shirts. Fancy some ornaments made from elephant poo for your room?



Or how about luxurious carpets for your room from Afghanistan this season? Or a richly embroidered kantha sari from Bangladesh? You will get all that and more over the next week and beyond in Delhi's very own handicrafts bazaar ufffd Dilli Haat. And this time, it isn't just artisans from around the country who are here, the 24th Annual Craft Bazaar also has stalls from neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

"We chose countries that are conflict-ridden. In spite of the conflict, women in these countries chose to take life ahead in their own small way," explains Jaya Jaitly, the founder of Dilli Haat and founder president of National Association of Crafts People.u00a0

Not just knick-knacks
You can get a wide variety of handicrafts, woollies, home d ufffdcor items, furniture and more at this edition of the crafts bazaar. Skilled craftsmen from around the country have come with their wares ufffd
displaying the very best of handicraft all at one place, so you completely cut down on costs to travel to a particular region should you have a fascination for their stuff.

We spotted members of Delhi's glitterati, stocking up on their stoles and pretty knick knacks. There were the typical NGO-wallahs in their Fab India kurtis and jholas, lovers coochie-cooing in the many food stalls, enjoying a hot cuppa and steamed momos, friends posing in front of the dancing dolls for photo-ops. And then there were the bargain hunters, out to make a good kill for a fraction of a cost.u00a0
u00a0
Go with a loaded wallet
Artisans have come from far and wide. Faiyaz Ahmed has come all the way from Sri Nagar to sell traditional Kashmiri handicraft items. "These are made by members of my family. There are nine people from my family
including my grandfather who make items like furniture, utensils, boxes, gift items etc," says Ahmed.
Then there is Bansi Lal from Varanasi (he still likes to call it Kashi, though). He was selling colourful knick knacks from wood which he has crafted himself, with help from family members.

Various NGOs like Sahaj from Gujarat and others from Delhi have also set up stall. We spotted puppets and toys stuffed with sand and polyester in one of the stalls. There was cane and bamboo furniture, wall hangings in fish and other shapes. An artisan from Rampur was selling cloth hangings and kites.

We spotted another stall selling quirky home decor items like tables shaped like books, interesting lamp shades with Rajasthani designs.

Warning: You might want to lay your hands on everything you see, but be careful as some stall owners are charging much more than usual market price for products you will easily get in Janpath.

At: Dilli Haat, ina
On till: january 17
Timings: 11 am to 9 pm
Entry: Rs 20