Media Brief / Press Release – The Blind Relief Association’s DIWALI BAZAAR 2023 – Blind School Diwali Mela 2023

Blind School Diwali Mela 2023 – All Details

Dates for Blind School Diwali Mela 2023

Date: 3-9 November 2023

Time for Blind School Diwali Mela 2023

Time: 10:30 AM – 08: 00 PM

Location for Blind School Diwali Mela 2023

Address: The Blind Relief Association, Delhi
Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, next to Hotel Oberoi, New Delhi 110003

Google Map

Parking for Blind School Diwali Mela

Paid Parking at Sunder Nursery, Nizamuddin
Paid E-Rickshaw service available between Parking Lot and venue.

Just as Diwali is one of India’s most eagerly anticipated festivals, the Blind Relief Association’s Diwali Bazaar happens to be an event that many Delhites look forward to. For some families, it has become a cherished tradition over the years. Commonly called as the “Blind School Diwali Mela,” the popular Diwali Bazaar is one of Delhi’s oldest annual events, having been consistently held for 43 years, with the exception of 2020.

This year, the Bazaar is a week-long event to be held from 3-9 November 2023 from 10:30 am – 08:00 pm in the Association’s premises on Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, close to the Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi.

Also Read: Top Diwali Melas In Delhi

Products by The Blind Relief Association

In 1980, the Diwali Bazaar started as a small event to showcase the products made by the visually impaired trainees and workers of the Association. The Bazaar has progressively grown over the years into one of the biggest festive shopping paradises in Delhi. Presently, the Bazaar houses about 250 stalls. Yet, the highlight remains to be the Blind Relief Association’s colourful candles and diyas, the primary objective with which the Bazaar was initiated about four decades ago.

• Candles & Diyas: To the range of eighty varieties of candles and diyas, recent additions are the scented candles made with soy wax, available in 4 fragrances – lavender, lime orange, oudh twist, and vanilla.
• Paper Products: A diverse collection of paper products made by the trainees and staff comprise bags, envelopes, gift tags, notebooks, cards, papier-mâché plates, cups, planters, and lampshades.
• Cloth Products: For many visitors, the cloth products stitched by the trainees are often surprising. To its existing array, new additions such as organisers, ring bags, laptop bags, sling bags, tote bags, shoe bags, jute bags, and scrunchies.
• Soaps: A new addition to our products, “Rangat,” is a range of handmade soaps crafted by our Multi-Skill Trainees, born out of their entrepreneurial initiative. These soaps are available in three delightful fragrances: orange, lavender, and jasmine, with lavender emerging as the favourite among customers.

In showing the Association’s contribution to a greener planet, efforts are made to minimalize usage of plastic, and therefore most of the Association’s products have been packaged in old Braille papers and clothes.

A glimpse of the Blind School Diwali Mela 2022

Attractions at Blind School Diwali Mela

Relaxation Massage – Offered by Visually Impaired Masseurs

The Bazaar provides a grand exposure to the visually impaired masseurs trained at the Association to demonstrate their skills. The tired visitors can enjoy soothing head, shoulder, and foot massage at a reasonable cost.

Café Mast – Run by Visually Impaired Trainees

A recent initiative is the establishment of a café, operated by trainees enrolled in the Multi-Skill training program. These trainees receive training in baking, enabling them to prepare a wide range of tasty sandwiches, burgers, cheese open toast, cookies, muffins, and a variety of hot and cold beverages. Their creations are now available for purchase at the Association’s Diwali Bazaar. The Café is entirely managed by the trainees themselves, handling customer orders, cash transactions, and providing excellent customer service.

What is so special about Blind School Diwali Mela

Besides the products made by the visually impaired, the Bazaar hosts about 250 stalls that sells a range of innumerable items that shoppers find fascinating as well as enjoyable. These stalls put up by vendors from across the country stock a sweeping assortment of dazzling designer wear, eye-catching footwear, coveted jewellery, fancy handbags, elegant home décor, traditional crafts, gift items, toys for kids, gardening materials, in-demand herbal products, mouth-watering ready to eat and packaged food etc.

Free Space for NGOs at Blind School Diwali Bazaar

Besides the stalls, the Bazaar also hosts NGOs at no charge to exhibit and sell products made by differently-abled persons or artisans from underprivileged backgrounds.

Why visit Blind School Diwali Bazaar

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The Diwali Bazaar organised by the Blind Relief Association is an event for a noble cause. Through this bazaar we wish to;

• Showcase and spread awareness about the potential and capabilities of the visually impaired
• Advocate for a non-discriminatory inclusive society where every individual is equally valued and respected.
• Raise funds for the education, training, and other diverse services provided by the Association for the Visually Impaired.

The Blind Relief Association

The Blind Relief Association is approaching the remarkable milestone of eight decades of its dedicated existence and significant contribution to empowering visually impaired people through education and skill training.

The Association is a non-governmental organisation based in Delhi that runs Jormal Periwal Memorial (J.P.M.) Senior Secondary School for the Blind, a residential boys school from Nursery to Class XII; Durgabai Deshmukh College of Special Education (Visual Impairment), a teachers’ training college; computer training centre, and a vocational training centre; a large hostel for its students and trainees; as well as other services like Braille production, audiobooks recording, e-books production, orientation and mobility training, assistive devices, placement, and health care.

Its valiant efforts earned the Association the prestigious National Award for the Best Institution Working for the Cause of Persons with Disabilities from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India in 2012.

For more details, visit blindrelief.org