Here is the Melas which would make your Diwali special. These Diwali Melas have so much to offer.

Dilli Haat

Dilli Haat is an upgraded version of the traditional weekly market, offering a delightful amalgam of craft bazaar and food joints located in Delhi, run by Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC). Unlike the traditional weekly market, the village Haat, Dilli Haat is permanent. There are three Dilli haats: INA, Pitampura, and Janakpuri.

Dilli Haat is considered as the brainchild of the tourist development in Delhi. It was established to encourage arts and crafts in India. You can enjoy shopping several ethnic products as well as increase your taste buds by having several dishes and snacks in food plaza served at reasonable rates under a single roof.

Dilli Haat also organizes and conducts Diwali Melas. These melas are known for their fun-filled and lively atmosphere. These Diwali Melas are treasure houses of Indian culture, handicrafts, and ethnic cuisine. The unique bazaars, in the heart of the city, display the richness of Indian culture. While the village haat is a mobile, flexible arrangement, here it is craftspersons who are mobile. It boasts off craft stalls selling native, utilitarian and ethnic products from all over the country. It is not just a marketplace; it has been visualized as a showpiece of traditional Indian culture – a forum where rural life and folk art are brought closer to an urban clientele.

The handicrafts offered here are commendable as it includes sandalwood and rosewood carvings, brass ware products, metalware, jewelry made from gems, camel hide footwear etc. The colorful earthen diyas and beautiful decorative materials add a unique charm to the mela. Dance performances to cultural events; decorative items stalls to accessories and home décor items; traditional imitation jewelry and hand-painted trays for great Diwali gifts are the attractions of the melas. This Diwali Mela is also a hit for its food stalls which offer cuisines from different states of India.

This Diwali Mela is also a hit for its food stalls which offer cuisines from different states of India. Dilli Haat covers a big area and it serves a single destination to shop for art and craft products as well as delicious dishes along with cultural activities conducted here. It also offers separate playing ground or place for children. The food offered here is neatly and hygienically cooked.

The best time to visit the place is during evening time as the haat gets glittered with the lights, which increases the charm of the village and even you can enjoy the diversity that is offered in Indian culture.

DILLI HAAT – INA

Address: INA, New Delhi.

Nearest Metro Station: INA

How to Reach: INA Market is accessed through INA underground station of Delhi Metro, which opened in 2010

Timings: 10:30 am to 10 pm.

Opens: Seven days a week

Cost:  Indian nationals for adults – INR 30 entry fee, children – INR10; Foreigners – INR. 60.

Photography: Allowed

What’s inside?

The vibrant, colorful India presented in the form of beautiful handicrafts. Each nook and corner of India are covered by each representing state’s shop over here. Handlooms, paintings, woodworks, idols, earthen pots and all sorts of hand-made items are available here. It is an open air market with brickworks for structures so avoid it in the summer afternoons as it can get very hot.

You can also savor the inimitable flavors of the delightful local foods from the various regions of India be it the momos from Sikkim or the Bamboos hot chicken from Nagaland, Kahwa & Kebabs from Jammu, Pooranpoli from Maharashtra or the Gujarati Dhokla. The food stalls offer you a variety of foods served in an Eco-friendly manner. It provides the ambiance of a traditional Rural Haat or village market, but one suited for more contemporary needs. Here one sees a synthesis of crafts, food, and cultural activity.  Food stalls are amazing; do try fried momos at Sikkim stall.

DILLI HAAT – PITAMPURA

Address: Pitampura, New Delhi.

Nearest Metro Station: NSP (Netaji Subhash Place)

How to Reach: Dilli Haat, Pitampura is serviced by Netaji Subhash Place Metro Station. It is situated on Ring Road near AIIMS. From NDLS Rly station you can reach by Delhi Metro. From Delhi Airport You can reach by bus crossing AIIMS.

Timings: 11 am to 10 pm.

Opens: Seven days a week

Cost: Indian nationals for adults – INR 30 entry fee, children – INR10; Foreigners – INR. 60.

Photography: Allowed

What’s inside?

This Haat’s Diwali Mela offers a crisp and contemporary feel, ready to celebrate the shades moods, events, legends, and festivities of Diwali. Dilli Haat Pitampura is located on a strategic point that is easily accessible from various centers in the city. The Haat has 108 craft stalls, exhibitions, performing art, music and dance show. The fabulous concept of the Haat at an excellent location, just near the Netaji Subhash Place Metro Station is a boon for Art and Craft lovers among Delhiites.

DILLI HAAT – JANAKPURI 

Address: Janakpuri, New Delhi.

Nearest Metro Station: Janakpuri East

How to Reach: Janak Puri is in West Delhi. The best way to reach there is by taking metro till Janak Puri East station and from there you can either take metro shuttles or an auto rickshaw to Dilli Haat.

Timings: 10:30 am to 10 pm.

Opens: Seven days a week

Cost:  Indian nationals for adults – INR 20 entry fee, children – INR10; Foreigners – INR. 60.

Photography: Allowed

What’s inside?

DHJP is more spacious than the other two Dilli Haats which are at INA and Pitampura. The Diwali Mela stalls showcase ethnic and exotic products and materials exclusive to India. There are endless shopping opportunities for the visitors as it brings India’s old rural tradition of open market space to contemporary and modern Delhi. Dilli Haat Diwali Mela, Janakpuri gives ample opportunity for food lovers to savor delectable lip smacking food as there are 14 food stalls set up where one will be able to savor the flavors from across the country and 15 food stalls serving cuisines from around the world. This Haat in West Delhi not only encourages art and culture but is also a one stop destination for various cultural events.

Recommendations: These complexes are not only artistic but also recreational in nature for the entire family. These are places where one can unwind in the evening and relish a wide variety of cuisine without paying the exorbitant rates. Step inside the complex for an altogether delightful experience by either buying inimitable ethnic wares, savoring the delicacies of different states or by simply relaxing in the evening with the entire family.

Overall, INA Dilli Haat is the best amongst all.

Don’t just read.

Go see! Light up your festive season.

Ratings: 3.5/5

Sonam Rajput

Sonam Rajput is a student of Education at Central Institute of Education, University of Delhi. She is a foodie and enjoys going on historical walks and imagining the world that had been. She hopes to keep her love for history in tandem with her passion for travel and unravel cultures, and experiences while doing so.