So yesterday, we made a trip to a kaleidoscope of colors in the form of the Global Village festival, being held near Noida’s toll bridge. Braving the mercilessly scorching late-afternoon Sunday Delhi sun, we made our way to the venue, which can only best be described as an environmental disaster, what with a dry riverbed, the area choked with the populace from perhaps all the neighboring places, automobiles spewing out smoke in regularity, harried parking lot attendants (steep parking at rupees 50 per vehicle. Gosh!), and swirling clouds of dust (aggravating my already tormented throat).
By the by, was just wondering how environmentalists, who recently wielded cudgels, and rendered several slum-dwellers there homeless, allowed the area to host the month-long extravaganza. I can only shake my head and exclaim, “Strange are the ways of the world.”
The hoopla surrounding the Global Village was palpable. Hordes of people, having probably leafed through the pages of the leading national daily that had organized it, had all faithfully queued up to be a part of the event. Spread over 40 acres, out of which 20 acres are allocated for parking, the exposition boasts of national and international stalls, showcasing artifacts, handicrafts, clothes, footwear, etc. There are also food courts for your palate, street performers to amuse the kid in you, pyrotechnics, a funfair, rides, and interesting games like paintball. However, what really caught my eye were the replicas of architectural marvels like Taj Mahal, Burj Al Arab, the Great Wall of China, Eiffel Tower, the Roman Basilica, London Bridge etc that marked the entrance.
With people lining up to get their pics taken there, the entrance was nothing short of chaos. The stalls inside were also nothing spectacular, though they boasted participation from about 15 countries – China, Czech Republic, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Pakistan, Senegal, South-sub Sahara African countries, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, UAE and Vietnam. Out of these, the UK stall was the biggest disappointment – with only mugs and bandannas on display. What a pity.
The prices were a tad too high. Bargaining was strictly a no-no. The Chinese lamps, woodwork, and hookahs were by far the best buys, while the price of crystal (though good), was enough to make me arch my eyebrows / roll my eyes.
The heat was getting to us. So we settled for an Indian food court, savoring tangy gol-guppas, jal-jeera, and corn. It had been over two hours, so after having our fill, and hearing some people getting panicky over what was later understood to be a bomb hoax, we made our way home, feet killing us. Whew.
Suggestion – go to the Times Global Village only if
a) A dusty walk is your idea of fun
b) You fancy seeing people dressed in their Sunday ‘sparkly” best (the kind that makes you cringe / reach out for your trusted sunglasses
Oh, and by the way, don’t even bother smoking, especially if you are a woman. You’d probably attract all the attention. Of the kind you’d rather do without.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
For bookings / more information, refer to the Global Village site here.
2 comments:
thank goodness u warned
i didn't liked it, even though i went during evening(it was still warm).....having the exotic-sunday-brunch in dusty afternoon was a good idea, lucky you ;)...i missed that....btw, who throws all these good ideas at you.....especially when there is good 25 days have gone...and pretty much every1 disliked it.
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