Phoolwalon ki Sair
Phoolwalon ki sair, which literally translates to a procession of the florists, is an annual ritual celebrated by the flower sellers in Delhi. It is a week-long festival in which all the flower sellers participate with equal fervour. They pray for a healthier flower crop in the next season
The procession starts from Chandni Chowk and goes all the way to Mehrauli. The participants of the procession carry huge floral fans or pankhas. These pankhas are offered at the Dargah of Bakhtiyar Kaki in Mehrauli along with a floral chaadar, asheet made of flowers. A pankha and a floral canopy (chattra) are also offered at the Yogmaya temple. This ritual dates back to 1812 when Akbar Shah II was on the throne. Phoolwalon ki sair has come to be seen as a secular festival exhibiting the cultural and religious harmony between the residents of the city.
The festival is also known as Sair-e-Gul Faroshan.
When: 11th-17th November, 2018
Where: Various (a detailed programme schedule can be found here.
Horn Ok Please (Food Truck Festival)
This is one of the most-awaited food festivals in Delhi. Only a year old, Horn OK Please has had three editions by now. You can find a plethora of food trucks here, with some biggies like the Woodbox Cafe, Waffle King, Moktoo, and Woks and Pans. Also look out for Kebab Gully, Dessert Lane, and Momo Land. Grub Campus (where every dish is under Rs 200) is very popular with college students. Apart from food, the fest will also have some cool experience zones with trampolines, segway, and skateboarding. One can also enjoy band performances. And thats not all. You can get your hands on some quirky accessories and apparels in their mini flea market too!
When: 16th-18th November, 2018
Where: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Timings: 12 am – 11 pm
Nearest Metro station(s): JLN on Violet line
India International Trade Fair (IITF)
The annual trade fair will bring hundreds of small and large enterprises under one roof. You can buy indigenous products made by handloom weavers and handicraft artisans of various states. The featured state this time is Jharkhand. Stalls by foreign participants will also be there, with Nepal being the country in focus.
The biggest attraction, as always, will be the food stalls. From Bihar’s litti chokha to Gujarat’s dhokla and khandvi, you can enjoy all sorts of delicacies here. Food stalls of countries like Pakistan and Turkey are an all time hit.
The theme pavilion this year will feature the rural enterprises of India.
Tickets will be available at select metro stations. Entry fee on working days with be ₹120 for adults and ₹6 for children. On weekends, it will be ₹60 and ₹40, respectively.
When: 18th-27th November, 2018
Where: Pragati Maidan, Gate nos. 1, 8, 10.
Timings: 9:30 am – 5 pm
Nearest metro station(s): Pragati Maidan on Blue line
Woodpecker Film Festival 2018
Lamenting over the lack of meaningful story-based cinema? Then this film festival is the perfect place for you to be. The Woodpecker International Film Festival is back with its sixth edition with an amazing line-up of movie and documentary screenings. The fest will host films from across the globe. International films like A House for the Syrians, David Attenboroughs Ant Mountain, Bullies, Wild Uganda, and Indian films such as Born Behind Bars, Gadho, Chori, and Miyan, Biwi aur Banana will be screened during the three-day fest. WIFF primarily focuses on short films and documentaries based on socially pertinent issues: gender, race, environment, and children.
It has been six years since the festival was first launched in India to mark 100 years of Indian cinema. It has never failed to amaze the audiences.
When: 23rd–25th November, 2018
Where: Siri Fort Auditorium
Nearest Metro station(s): Green Park on Yellow line, Hauz Khas on Magenta and Yellow lines
Jashn-e-Adab
Organised by the Jashn-e-Adab Foundation, this poetry festival celebrates Hindi and Urdu literature. Now in its seventh year, the weekend extravaganza will see a gathering of several renowned intellectuals and artists. The festival is well known for providing a platform to new and young artists. The line-up this year includes Anand Mohan Zutshi, Uma Sharma, Padma Shree Malti Joshi, Abhigyan Prakash, National Award-winning actor Pankaj Tripathi, Rajpal Yadav, Sanjay Mishra, Shubha Mudgal, RJ Naved, and many more.
While you’re there, do not miss the amazing ‘Lazzat’ food court.
When: 23rd-25th November, 2018
Where: Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA)
Timings: 11 am – 9 pm
Nearest Metro station(s): Central Secretariat on Yellow and Violet lines
Delhi Queer Pride Parade
Ever since 2008, the last Sunday of November in Delhi is marked out for a congregation of people in participating in a colourful and joyous parade. The Delhi Queer Pride Parade is organised to celebrate and honour the entire queer community. People walk together, holding colourful balloons, posters, banners, and rainbow flags. The gathering has been a parade cum protest for the rights of the LGBTQ community. Now that the Supreme Court has struck down Section 377 of the Indian Constitution and has decriminalized sex between two consenting adults, it will be interesting to see the celebrations this year.
When: 25th November, 2018
Where: Tolstoy Marg, Connaught Place
Timings: 3 pm
Nearest Metro station(s): Rajiv Chowk on Blue line
