By IANS
New Delhi : Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Sunday opened yet another Dilli Haat, an ideal place for leisurely shopping for various objects of arts and crafts and tasting a variety of Indian dishes, at Pitampura in north Delhi.
“It is going to be an asset for the people living in north Delhi. It offers a unique combination of facilities for shopping, exhibition, and tasting the varied flavours of Indian cuisine,” Dikshit said after officially opening the Dilli Haat.
It is the second such place to come up in the city after the Delhi Tourism and Transport Corporation (DTTC) set up the first in 1994 in Kidwai Nagar, near All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in south Delhi.
Dikshit said Dilli Haat, developed at an estimated cost of Rs.350 million ($8.75 million), was a unique idea where one could glimpse India’s diverse cultures. “It brings India’s old tradition of open market places to the contemporary Delhi in a beautiful manner,” she said.
“The Metro train connectivity makes the Pitampura Dilli Haat more purposeful,” she added.
Tourism Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said the new Dilli Haat had provisions for cultural activity and was designed for demonstration and exhibition of traditional craft with eateries and shops to generate public activity in the area.
“The Haat has a separate art gallery and spice market,” Lovely said.
Pitampura Dilli Haat, spread over 7.2 acres, is equipped with facilities like a multi-purpose pavilion having a capacity to display 100 exhibits, food kiosks to accommodate 400 persons, a double storied dormitory for craftsmen, and a 450 person capacity amphitheatre.
Available also will be parking facilities for 230 cars and 210 two wheelers in the basement.