What a random stroke of luck.I went to Dilli Haat to buy a couple of Kurtas(Well for those who dont know, Dilli Haat is near AIIMS in Delhi and biggest place to buy handicrafts in India) an there was a special fest on, organised by the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare.
They had these painting competitions for Kids and tonnes of Handicrafts from all parts of the country for women shop.
A photographers paradise you could say.
There was also a cultural fest organised for the people.It had street plays and Various dance forms as well.
The food stalls were as good as ever.And I had my share of chaat before leaving.
Now about the pictures:
The toy below is usually seen in the rural areas of the country.Kids get to see pictures of movie stars an stuff.1/60s f/5.6 55mm.
Sarangis on sale.This one was a popular guy.A lot of foreigners would 1/60s f5.6 ISO 100.
The caricatures wala stall was one of the most popular.The guy would draw your portraits in no time at all.The first picture details:1/100s f/5.6 ISO 100.
The second picture above is at ISO400 f/5.6 1/40s.
The kids were busy taking part in painting and craft competitions.1/80s f/5.6.But again there were kids who were selling the handicrafts which undermines the fundamentals of the fest.Now below are a few of the stalls that I saw.I would advise for those who are in Delhi to definitely go check this stuff out.
Then there were these wonderful cultural programs that were held in the evening.
This is where I was able to use the new telephoto to get decent shots.
The first was a dance program where the kids did a balet inspired by nature:
The next was a street play that was organised by kids. The children in the audience were absolutely enthralled such good acting and use of props.They could be seen repeating dialogues and laughing at every joke.The message at the end of the day was to make all kids aware about their rights in India.I would say the best theatre groups of the country would be proud of the work these kids had put up.
Two folk dance forms were also on display.It just breaks my heart to know that with the growth of urbanisation these are becoming just a mode of entertainment of tourists and urban citizens.I wish that are continued to be practiced in rural areas thoughout this growth of our country.I cannot but let go of the socialistic ideals of our country that were set forth at its birth.
One of from Rajasthan and one from UP(Picture on Top).Guess which is which.The message from both was to portray the strength of women:
Another pointer, the lens that is 55-300 mm VR from Nikon works like a charm in decent light conditions.Pictures and travel details of my road trip to Harmandir Sahib will be up next.Till then have a good time, and for those in Delhi please do have a look at the festival at Dilli Haat which is open till saturday.God bless us all.
