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The city just got its own version of Dilli Haat at Navi Mumbai. Artisans and folk artists from across the country perform and sell wares in the lap of 4.8 acres of greenery

So you want to head to Lonavla this weekend, but the love of your life, who you are beginning to believe loves bargains more than you, wants to go shopping. Here's a plan to mix a bit of both for a heady weekend cocktail. On the way to Lonavla, a small detour at Belapur takes you to Urban Haat, Mumbai's very own version of the capital's popular stopever for traditional buys, Dilli Haat.

Devendra Kadian sells a Kawad, a wooden box-temple that holds a story that's narrated in rhythmic pattern by opening successive doors and pointing to each painting with a peacock feather. It's a 300 year-old tradition of storytelling native to Rajasthan. Pic/ Datta Kumbhar

The shopping mall with a difference is spread across 4.8 acres on the slope of a lush green hill. So, you can amble down stone walkways that wind across the entire campus while you browse through buys.  The cool wind and swaying trees give it a picknicky feel. We love that there's ample parking.

The Haat houses rows of shops spread across the campus, that are rented out to artisans who come from various states across India as part of government-supported exhibition plans. The ongoing Kala Expo '09 has teams from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka and Jharkhand, leaving the Mumbaikar with a chance to interact with skilled artisans who work on media that vary from fabric to wood and ceramic.

Food and entertainment is one area that left us disappointed. Although the Haat has a food court and amphitheatre for cultural performances, shopkeepers warned us against heading there on account of slippery pathways. Till the rains hang around and the organisers sort of teething problems, we suggest you pack some sandwiches to take along.

The guy you should look out for
Devendra Kadian is a man keeping Kawariya, a 300 year-old tradition of storytelling from Rajasthan alive. A Kawad is a wooden box with many doors, with Gods and heroes illustrated on each. The Kawadia goes from village to village, stopping to narrate a story with the box on his lap. The story is narrated in rhymic pattern: by touching each picture with a peacock feather.

"Most stories are mythologies or stories in praise of local patrons," says Kadian. Kawads are considered sacred and treated like temples. The Kawad-makers write a curse on the main door to warn those who might scoff at the stories out of disrespect. Kadian sells each for Rs 300 to Rs 2,500.

How to get there
By road: Take the route that connects you to Mumbai-Pune Expressway via Navi Mumbai. Turn towards Belapur, on the Konkan Bhavan/Cidco Bhavan side. The Haat is located diagonally opposite Cidco Bhavan, on the road going towards Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner's office.
By rail: Take any train headed for Belapur/ Panvel. The Haat is a two-minute walk from the station. It's best to ask locals for directions to Cidco Bhavan since most have not heard of the Urban Haat.