Delhi's iconic Dilli Haat: Churn from traditional to run-of-the-mill

You can't not be overwhelmed when entering the fabled Dilli Haat--the original tourist spot for artisans and craftsmen from across the country to sell their traditional wares to consumers. And for good reason. No other single-stop destination offers a range this eclectic – crafts, art, or food – and that too under one roof, metaphorically (Dilli Haat stands in a refurbished open ground opposite the INA market). It opened doors to visitors three decades ago in 1994, and instantly became a crowd puller. Things have been chugging along. Or so it seems.

Over the last decade, Dilli Haat - jointly established by the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), and the Union Ministries of Textiles and Tourism – seems to be undergoing a churn. Earlier, it offered visitors an authentic, traditional shopping experience that brought the best of India’s arts, crafts and diverse cuisine from the hinterlands to the National Capital Region (NCR). It attracted visitors not just from the city, but from across the country and beyond – even today, foreign tourists make up a sizeable chunk of its visitors.

But over the years, there have been voices – growing louder by the day – that the promise is not quite being lived up to anymore. A slow but steady process of dilution is underway, and the famed stalls and food joints of Dilli Haat are its biggest victims. Apart from the expected handicrafts and arts, one can notice a sizeable number of products that are neither traditional, nor handmade. It's a sore sight, because consumers don't come to Dilli Haat to buy a factory-produced handbag or jacket. The same goes for the famed Dilli Haat food. Yes, the litti chokha, dal bati churma, kebabs, and momos continue to pull crowds. But they do so alongside a growing variety of burgers, sandwiches and pizzas.

Is this a deliberate attempt by those in charge of running the place – the DTTDC - to keep it commercially viable? Were footfalls – and profits - plummeting with a truly authentic, traditional shopping - and culinary - experience?

A former AIIMS professor, who did not wish to be named, believes perhaps the only reason why old timers like her continue to visit Dilli Haat is nostalgia. “I’ve been coming here since I moved to Delhi, so it offers me a place of comfort in this fast-paced city. I don’t see many other reasons why I would continue to visit”, she tells me, adding “apart from what you would expect a place like this to sell, you can now pick up so much run-of-the-mill stuff that this place has lost its charm”.

However, this does not really seem to matter much to the new generation of shoppers at Dilli Haat. “We didn’t come with set expectations, so we are having a pretty good time here”, say Rahul and Aditya, students from Pune, adding “we don’t know what the authentic crafts and foods are supposed to look or taste like, so we cannot comment on that”. For a generation whose staple diet now consists of generous doses of fries, burgers, and carbonated drinks, the fact that Dilli Haat now offers that to them is perhaps an added incentive to pay a visit.

So, is this metamorphosis of Dilli Haat just an accident or a case of shops and businesses giving the officials’ eyes a slip. Was it an attempt to continue to remain relevant to the youth of the city (and, of course, tourists)?

Clearly, even if it was not intentional, it seems to be paying dividends. Carlos and Angel from Spain, in their 30s now, have been living in Delhi for a couple of years. They are also Dilli Haat veterans of sorts, having been here a good half dozen times in the last two years. And they feel that the change, or evolution, as they put it, is only for the better. “It’s become a lot more modern since we first visited. That includes the stuff you can pick here and the food you get. Isn’t that a good thing?”, quips Carlos. Angel adds, “Yes, maybe you do find a product or two here that could be readymade. But if it’s only enhancing the variety, you get here, it could be a good thing as it would bring in more people here. And the entire haat is in much better condition now than before. So, for me, the experience has only improved”.

The upkeep of the premises is, without doubt, impressive. The toilets, seating areas, recreational zones, stalls – are all in top condition, making it a pleasant experience for visitors.

Much more than the crafts and other products, it is the deteriorating gastronomical experience that is more obvious to the regular visitor. “The main reason for the fall in the quality of food at Dilli Haat is that once a stall is allotted to a vendor - by the respective state’s Tourism Corporation - there is no accountability after that. Thus, the vendors virtually have a free hand to serve whatever they please on the menu”, elaborates Rishad Bilgrami, owner and manager of Darbar-E-Awadh, the Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation’s food stall. He adds “there is demand for good quality authentic food from the public, but most of the state’s stalls take them for granted. However, when you do serve them tasty, authentic food from states, the public takes note and rewards with their patronage”.

The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation’s Tamil Nadu Hotel is frequented by visitors for its authenticity, coupled with taste, that draws crowds to the stall, explains one of its senior employees. “Since Dilli Haat usually attracts only the upper strata of our society, naturally, we tend to price our products accordingly – at times 3-4 times higher than what you get outside”, he says, offering an insight into the at times exorbitant prices at Diili Haat, adding, “even then, business here is decent, apart from the summer months when footfalls plummet”. When asked about the fall in the quality of food at Dilli Haat, Sharma had an interesting nugget to offer. “These days, most people believe that manchurian and noodles is the authentic Northeastern cuisine. Obviously, this is not true, but since most people are unaware, they demand that. So, it’s only natural that the vendors here are catering to that demand. It’s simple business”.

A senior employee of one of the state’s food stalls, who did not wish to be named, claims that “only 30% of the food a stall serves has to be the respective state’s authentic cuisine”. Authorities though deny having any such rule in place, adding that “everything is authentic”. It is hard to believe that though, since more than half a dozen stalls' menu cards could easily rival those of a Starbucks or Haldiram’s.

Another food stall manager who spoke on the condition of anonymity had a slightly different take. “Of course, we serve authentic food. It’s just that people are not aware anymore, so they can’t appreciate the genuine flavours we serve them”, he explains.

A customer at one of the busier food stalls says, “The food is ordinary. It’s nothing special. But I like to come here with friends because of the ambience”, adding that “I’m not sure if this is due to complacency on part of the vendors or a lack of demand for good food from the customers themselves”.

It’s been a usual day for Swathi, from Hyderabad, who has been involved in the pearls business since 1999. “We keep getting allotted a stall at Dilli Haat because every 15 days - when fresh bids are invited by the Union Ministry of Textiles to set up stalls at here - a different member of our NGO bids for a spot. Otherwise, an artisan is allotted space here only for a period of 15 days. Commercial establishments can set up shop for up to 2 years, on lease, in a separate bidding process”, she elaborates.

Ashish Kumar and Vidya Pandey are Madhubani artists from Bihar. While they have roamed across the country and set up stalls in art fairs throughout the length and breadth of India, Dilli Haat holds a special place in their hearts. “Yeh toh humare desh ki Rajdhani hai. Toh idhar toh ana achcha lagta hai. Business bhi achcha hota hai yahan par (This is the Capital of our country. So, we like coming to Dilli Haat. Even our business does well here)”, says a smiling Vidya. They add that they will leave soon, as their 15-day lease is about to end, and unlike commercial establishments, they cannot set up shop for 2-3 years.

Mohammed Ahmed, a craftsman who specialises in ceramics, is not too upbeat about his experience so far. “Jo bhi kahein yeh log, yahan ki reality kaafi alag hai (No matter what everybody says, the reality of this place is quite different). We first cough up ₹. 10,000 to even apply for the bidding process. Then, we pay rent to Delhi Tourism for the 15 days we spend here. The facilities they provide are in no way adequate, so must incur additional expenditure on lighting, furniture, etc. to set up our stalls. These guys only give us a few tables, and the most basic lighting. And the worst part is that for some reason, different rules exist for different people. On paper, everybody gets these stalls for a period of 15 days only. But some artisans end up staying for months. How does this happen? They will not tell you all this, but I have seen it first-hand. It is quite unfair”, he decries.

While the point of “commercial establishments” being allowed to set up shop at Dilli Haat sprang up in quite a few conversations, nobody was able to elaborate on how this procedure plays out. The managers at a couple of the seemingly “commercial” set ups in the premises were not keen to talk but admit that the property had been leased out to them for rents of ₹ 2-3 lakhs a month.

Multiple attempts to reach out to officials from DTTDC regarding rent and allotment process did not fructify. “Once the allotment process is completed by the Union Ministry of Textiles, we rent them out to the artisans for a period of 15 days – at ₹ 800 plus GST a day. Once allotted a stall, the same artisan can apply only after 6 months”, explains Maniksha Bakshi, a top official of the DTTDC. He acknowledges that there are certain stalls around the stage area, which are leased out for longer periods through an e-auction that takes place quarterly, although he declined to comment on the issue of “commercial establishments” setting shop and staying on for 2-3 years. The officials also did not reply to a detailed questionnaire on the quality and choice of the food and crafts sold in the premises.

Even if it makes sense commercially to allow big establishments to set up shop in the premises, is it doing justice to the idea of Dilli Haat and fulfilling the purpose of such a market in the first place? Does NDTTC really need to run a market that sells the very same stuff you can get in virtually any major market of the capital? These are questions worth asking.

“This is not something I think about usually. Yes, it does make sense when you ask me now, but it is not something on the back of my mind when I bring my guests here for sightseeing”, says Rebecca, a working professional, when posed the questions.

Yes, the artisan does benefit even now. But then why call it Dilli Haat any longer? Dilli Haat was conceptualised as a platform that offered more than that. It was also a promise to bring to the visitor an experience of the Indian hinterland, and its mind-blowing variety of crafts and food.

A different set of old timers, though, do not really think this iconic market will ever become irrelevant. That sentiment is best summed up by Vatsala Kaul, a Delhi resident. “Apart from the summer months when it gets unbearably warm, I still love going to Dilli Haat. It’s lovely in the winter months and I wouldn’t miss any opportunity to visit. The shopping and food package here is unmatched”.

But the small minority that expect a more authentic experience deserves to be warned for what is in store (haat) for them. It’s their patronage and love that fuelled Dilli Haat’s success for so long.

The clock struck 10 PM and for this famed bazaar – for many a symbol of the city’s remarkable ability to blend history with modernity – it was time to wind up for the day. Shutters closing, shopkeepers – after sweating it out through the day - shouting out at each other, visitors making a scramble for the exit gates - the entire premises bustles with one last frenzy of activity before it’s time to close for the night, only to come back to life the next morning. Churn or no churn, Dilli Haat keeps moving. It’s up to the powers-that-be to decide in which direction.