New Delhi, May 17 -- The vibrant and bustling market of Dilli Haat, famous for its kaleidoscope of handcrafted treasures and colorful stalls, now bear an unfamiliar silence.

On Friday, the INA Market-based handicraft hub, which remained closed for more than a fortnight, reopened to artisans and visitors. A tragic fire gutted over 30 shops two weeks and has left behind a charred memory, smoldering hopes, and a marketplace that is trying hard to return to life - albeit under new and stricter rules.

Now gone are the sights of lavishly decorated stalls, mannequins adorned with ethnic wear, and the warm glow of string lights. What remains is a skeletal version of the marketplace, marked by unease and uncertainty. Artisans, many of whom lost ...