As soon as you walk into Dilli Haat, INA, you are welcomed by rows of colourful stalls selling West Bengali Jamdani and Matka silk, handwoven khadi, Phulkari-embroidered dupattas, and luxurious Kashmiri carpets. Visitors are drawn into a circle of applause as Rajasthani musicians play folk tunes in one corner and, in another corner, dancers perform the upbeat Chhau. The full diversity of India's creative traditions is apparent in nearby vendors featuring delicate Lippan art (mural crart from Kutch done on walls or boards), intricate Madhubani paintings, and beautiful ceramic pottery.
For the Dastkari Haat Crafts Bazaar at the capital's Dilli Haat, which opened on January 1 and will continue till January 15, this year holds special significance as the Dastkari Haat Samiti (DHS) completes 40 years of working with India’s artisan communities.
Founded in 1986 by politician and activist Jaya Jaitly, the Dastkari Haat Samiti is among the country’s oldest organisations dedicated to the promotion and protection of traditional crafts. Speaking about the organisation’s journey, Jaitly said DHS was formed as an association of craftspeople with the aim of strengthening policies for artisans, promoting crafts, and helping makers understand the marketplace so they are not exploited. “We have worked continuously through bazaars, exhibitions, design training programmes, school workshops and publications to keep this sector creative and sustainable,” she adds.
With the government’s support, the Samiti established the Dilli Haat in 1994. Since then, the winter bazaar at the place has become a much-anticipated annual event in Delhi.
Along with stalls, the bazaar traditionally includes workshops and interactive programmes that highlight specific craft practices.
This year, a major attraction is a 10-day demonstrative workshop on Indian quilts, being held from January 3 to 13. Traditionally made from old saris and leftover fabric, these quilts reuse discarded textiles and are stitched together using simple running stitches and embroidery. Craftspeople from Rajasthan, Delhi, and Maharashtra are demonstrating techniques of cutting, layering, stitching and embellishing during the workshop.
Reflecting on four decades of work, Jaitly says one of the most rewarding changes has been the confidence artisans now bring to the bazaar. “Earlier, we had to push them to experiment. Today, they come up with new ideas, colours and products on their own. They know their strengths and proudly show what they have created,” she tells TMS.
The bazaar features over 130 stalls from across the country, exhibiting textiles such as ikat, Banarasi weaves, chanderi, bandhani, and kalamkari, alongside bamboo crafts, pottery, jewellery, durries, Kolhapuri footwear and folk art forms including Gond, Warli and miniature paintings.
Beyond shopping, the bazaar also presents cultural performances throughout the fortnight, with Chhau dance from West Bengal in the first week and folk music and dance from Rajasthan in the second, along with regional food stalls.