Diwali in Delhi: Mela- Hopping

There are many facets of Diwali in Delhi. It is beautiful, colourful, noisy and quite heavy on the pocket! The Diwali Melas are an essential part of the festivities, as they appeal to people across the board. I wrote about the iconic Blind School mela earlier, so hop on over if you’d like to know more. Here’s a quick round-up of my favourite Melas happening this weekend. Ultimately, your choice depends on where you live and whether you’re looking for food, shopping or general entertainment.

Quirky stalls at the Pataka Pop Up- Utpatang

The Pataka Pop Up 2.0

The newest entrant in its second year is the Pataka Pop Up at Social Offline, Hauz Khas Village. This is less a fair, more an option for regular visitors to partake of the Diwali spirit in the air.

All the stalls offer quirky goodies unlike most other Melas. There were some kitschy clothes and accessories; an artist’s corner, where they offered live caricatures (World of Caricatures) as well embossed messages on merchandise; and a section allotted to Banta Bombs. Two panel discussions and a comedy event were also lined up.

This one is a modern version of a Diwali mela. It’s nice for a visit, but lacks the atmosphere of a traditional carnival. The lineup for today is as follows:

Get Offline: Joy of Giving & Social Contribution (Diwali Edition)

Sunday 15th October, 3 PM | antiSOCIAL

Speakers from Katha (NGO) & Ketto

In Focus: Social Work, Community Welfare, The Process of Crowdfunding

Comedy Night 7.0 Open Mic (Special Diwali Edition)

Comedians: Prakhar Pramod, Manik Mahna, Vijay Yadav, Vaibhav Arora, Shaad Shafi, Kishore Dayani, Vikramjit Singh, Shivam Lakhanpal, Pratyush Chaubey, Amar S, Jeeveshu Ahluwalia

Entry Fee: INR 100

Days: 14^th– 15^th October

Timings: Till the restaurant closes

Mela rating: 3/5

Defence Colony Diwali Mela

The Defence Colony Mela stands out amongst other colony fairs because of its scale as well as easy accessibility. It takes place in the Gol Gumbad, and this unique circular shape is covered with shopping stalls on both ends. There are two cordoned off sections; one for games like Lucky Dip and Hoopla, and the other for food.

There is good shopping available with cheaper options than other Melas. I particularly liked the funky denim jackets from the brand Statement Fashion House. The food stalls weren’t too exciting. We enjoyed some chaat, but as compared to previous years the selection seemed sparse.

It’s a good one to visit if you live around the area, and want a nice evening with the entire family.

Entry Fee: INR 50

Days: 14^th– 15^th October

Timings: 2:00 -10:00 p.m.

Mela rating: 4/5

A great way to spend time with family

The Sunder Nagar Diwali Mela

The Sunder Nagar Mela is one of the oldest. It takes place in one of the two large parks in the center of the colony (they alternate each year), while the other one is converted to a parking lot. Preparations start months in advance as they start the bids for stalls in July/ August.

The shopping stalls are fewer than other Melas as the area is equally divided between food, games (of the lucky dip and hoopla variety), and shopping. One side of the park is dedicated entirely to joy rides, which are extremely popular. These include giant ferris wheels, a Columbus ride and even some options for little children. The food selection here is better than in other places as some premium restaurants have stalls.

The dusty and uneven grounds can be quite annoying, but the rides and overall fun make up for it!

Entry fee: INR 100

Days: 14^th– 15^th October

Timings: 4:00 p.m. onwards

Mela rating: 4/5

Information on other melas:

Dilli Haat Diwali Bazaar: Dilli Haat, INA 16^th– 19^th October

Dastakar Festival of Lights: Dastkar Nature Bazaar, Chattarpur: 5^th– 16^th October