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All aglow at Deep Utsav...
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This Diwali head for Deep Utsav at Dilli Haat to get some of the most artistic diyas and puja thalis in town. But avoid striking a bargain for the sellers are not petty traders but dexterous craftsmen, suggests SANGEETA BAROOAH PISHAROTY... .
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Photo: S. Subramanium.
Diyas anyone? There is plenty to choose at the ongoing Deep Utsav in Dilli Haat.
WITH MARKETS stacked with goods for Diwali, Dilli Haat too is not far behind. Celebrating Deep Utsav for eight days ending this Monday, the popular shopping arena in South Delhi has put on display a medley of commodities including beautiful diyas of various sizes and shapes, puja thalis with colourful work on them, metal bells, statutes of Ganesha and Lakshmi, both in clay and metal, trinkets of different hues to decorate your home or work place for the occasion, not to mention handloom garments, home furnishings and handicraft ferried from different States.
The pricing too is not so exorbitant if one looks at the intricate designs. A set of six assorted diyas of different colours with flower petals pasted on them would come for Rs. 60; a hanging metal diya with lovely designs would start from Rs. 200; puja thalis are as little above Rs. 100; garlands of plastic flowers and petals come for Rs. 80; the Ganesh and Lakshmi statues are in different ranges, depending on the size and the material used.
Coinciding with the annual India Weaves festival, the Deep Utsav, however, was pushed to a small area with only a few stalls selling wares till October 31, the day the Weaves festival had its curtains down. Later on, more sellers were let in.
Though the stalls are registering good sales with visitors thronging the Haat to pick up gift and puja items for the auspicious day, some complain against too much bargaining.
"Most customers now tend to do hard bargaining. This affects our sales at times as we are not usual traders but crafts persons. There should be at least some distinction," says a stall-owner. However, a fellow stall-owner adds that apart from hard bargainers, there also comes a set of buyers who are ready to pay any price for a real work of art.
"Something which is not so run-of-the-mill, you know. They do not look at the amount spend on the raw material but the creativity," he adds.
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