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Delhi

Delhi goes all out with Nizamuddin Basti fest

Governor of Delhi, Tejendra Khanna on Thursday flagged off  ‘Heritage Walk’ in Nizamuddin area and also went round the ‘Apni Basti Mela’.

The three-day Apni Basti Mela is being organised by the Aga Khan Trust for culture in association with the union cultural ministry.

Local youth have been trained by the Aga Khan Trust to act as guide for the tourist who visited the area.

The Trust celebrates the Apni Basti mela to focus on the rich heritage, culture, crafts and food of Hazrat Nizammuddin Basti.

The Basti is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Delhi (750 years old), is celebrating culture and art of seven centuries of its living and cultural legacy.

The organisers put up posters in neighbouring colonies, sent 4,000 invitation cards, reached youngsters on Facebook and tried to popularise the event through word of mouth.

Qawwali, craft demonstrations and theatre will showcase the heritage of the place.

The LG also took a moment to oversee the ongoing and proposed works in the parks, Baoli and other monuments.

The second edition of the mela aims to forge a link between local participants and visitors, especially those living in other parts of Delhi. A series of interesting events including conservation and craft demonstrations by master craftsmen, music, theatre, Dastangoi performances, cuisine and cooking classes by master chefs have been lined up.

On Friday, the Niazi Brothers will perform sufiana kalaam in the forecourt of the grand 16th Century monument, popularly known as Chausath Khambha. The famed duo of Danish Husain and Mahmood Farooqui will perform Dastangoi on Saturday, also at Chausath Khamba.

Activities are spread across the basti but most will be held in the recently landscaped park on Lala Lajpat Rai Marg. An interactive exhibit will display craft products by women of the basti, including sanjhi, traditional embroidery.

Mughal glazed tiles, traditional perfumes and calligraphies will be displayed in the park.

Meanwhile, a cleanliness drive has also been planned in response to the community’s demands for cleaner streets. It is a major issue since the basti attracts millions of pilgrims from across the country as well as the Islamic world attracted to the Sufi teachings of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya who espoused tolerance, love and pluralism.
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