Kolkatans enjoy buying handicrafts directly from artists bringing their wares from places like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Rajasthan in 'Kolkata Haat', similar to the arts and crafts bazaar called Dilli Hatt in New Delhi.
New Market and adjacent areas has become city’s one-stop hangout zone. Some buy the traditional crafts and others pamper the taste buds with sweet and savoury delicacies.
A crafts bazaar, christened ‘Kolkata Haat’ modelled on the lines of the famous Dilli Haat, though on a smaller scale has been planned on the weekends, started from February 27. The bazaar starts on Fridays and fold up on Sunday nights.
“Let aside France and Italy, even our capital has its own ‘Dilli Haat’ that attracts people and tourists across the world. On one hand, it increases the business of the artisans facing lack of business; at the same time, gives a break to people from the monotonous mall-hopping.
Over 200 artisans and performers from across the country, including Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are the participants of Kolkata Hatt.
The best of traditional art and crafts of every district finds a place at ‘Kolkata Haat’ not just dokra, clay work and terracotta from Bankura, pat paintings from every district including Kalighat, clay dolls from Nadia, cane and woodcraft from Jalpaiguri, brassware from Murshidabad, but also the quintessential putul nacher ashor, bangle sellers, kite-makers and many more.
The items that one gets to buy here is very cheap and real ethnic. This hatt is known for cheaper garments – jeans, blouse, pants, under-wears, bags, soft toys, handicrafts, pots and many many more…..Though it is a poor (cheap) bazaar but very prosperous for the rural artisans. You find everything here at an economical range. Just name it and you get it here. The hatt is flooded with all kinds of garments, stylish attires etc.
Sameera Tuzehra, tourist from Malaysia says, “I did not bargain, as the prices of different stuff are very cheap here. We have a night market called ‘Pasar Malam’ in Malaysia. But, the collection that I found here is excellent. This is a good effort by KMC to make the rural artisans earn more by putting on some effort.
"Nowadays, people are getting more and more inclined towards the mall culture. As a result, our village crafts are suffering. Something had to be done to save these rural artisans as well as use a different way of drawing people to them," says Faiyaz Ahmed Khan, member, Mayor-in-Council.
The major attractions of the ‘Haat’ are and bamboo works of Jalpaiguri and Assam, bellmetal articles and Patachitra paintings from Orissa.
People can also enjoy folk performances from various parts of the country like ‘Chhau’ dance from Purulia, Kalbeliya of Rajasthan and Bihu of Assam.And after some leisurely shopping, one can savour the flavours of India at several food stalls. The ‘Haat’ runs from Friday-Sunday midnight.
The weekly bazaar, located near New Market in central Kolkata, is a joint initiative of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) along with National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and city-based Simplex Projects Ltd
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