Artisans hope to bounce over COVID-19 loss in Delhi's 11-day 'Hunar Haat' fair

The Hunar Haat fair is being organised in New Delhi from Nov 11 to 22 after a seven-month gap. The local artisans and craftsmen have expressed hope to have some good business. Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had on Wednesday said that 'Hunar Haat' is an enormous platform providing market and opportunities to master artisans who prepare these indigenous exquisite handmade products.

New Delhi: After a long gap of seven months due to the crisis induced by the outbreak of Covid-19, local artisans and craftsmen are yet again hopeful of some good business as the 'Hunar Haat' is being organised in New Delhi from November 11 to 22.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Shahid who hails from Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh and has a Glass Toys store in the Hunar Haat, said, "Me and my father were labourers at a bangle workshop and from that, I thought of starting my own work of making toys from glass and within few periods of time I started making profits."

"Later, we got to know about Hunar Haat and we started selling our products from this platform also but everything just got stopped when coronavirus induced lockdown was announced in the country," he added.

Shahid said that last few months were painful and we had started thinking to switch this business but now as things are getting better, we have again got a chance to sell our products. Now, I hope that I'll be able to mange my losses soon.

Nissar Ali, who hails from Ladakh and has a shop of pashmina clothes in Hunar Haat, said, "Since the lockdown, we had faced huge problem of marketing, the manufactured items aren't being sold. The factory is already closed as the old stock of clothes manufactured six-seven months haven't not been sold."

"In the normal days, we usually sell our products to tourists who come to Ladakh but as no one is travelling due to the coronavirus, I thought of coming to the Hunar Haat to sell my products to earn my living," he added.

Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had on Wednesday said that 'Hunar Haat' is an enormous platform providing market and opportunities to master artisans who prepare these indigenous exquisite handmade products.

More than 100 stalls like dry flowers from Assam; Pochampally Ikkat from Andhra Pradesh; Munga Silk, Madhubani Painting and artificial jewellery from Bihar; glass toys from Uttar Pradesh; Pashmina shawls from Ladakh etc are available for sale at the 'Hunar Haat' at Delhi Haat, Pitampura.