Town Planning
Planning theory | Kathputli Colony | The Informal Story | | Disha Mendhekar Akanksha Laroiya | 4/6/2013 |
“The mind, by seeking to normalize what it perceives, to make sense and resolve, is deceived, easily and constantly misdirected, and willing to be so for the sake of equilibrium. Our desire for order deludes us. I realize this not only at the magic show but while walking down Chowringhee. We dare not see what is really going on.” -Lee Siegel, Net of Magic (p. 426) |
Table of Contents Introduction 3 The Magicians’ Ghetto 5 Moving Slums: Urban Renewal or Urban Removal? 7 Memories of Urban Removal: Moving Slums as Spatial Morphology 12 Magical Urbanism and Urban Metis 14 Conclusion 16 References 17
introduction
Figure [ 1 ]: location of kathputli colony
Kathputli Colony is located very close to Shadipur Depot which is one of the main bus depots of Delhi. The area is very accessible which also makes the area a prime location and much in demand.
Kathputli Colony falls in zone G of Delhi. It is at walking distance from Shadipur Metro Station and adjoining to Pandu Nagar (South) and New Patel Nagar (East). The squatter settlement is spread over 5.2 ha of land and an in-situ rehabilitation programme is currently being planned for the area. The colonies houses around 3500 families out of which most of them are traditional street performers and artists on whom the colony is named so.
Kathputli means wooden puppet. It is an ancient Indian teatre form which is native of Rajasthan and was performed by Rajasthani Bhat community. There is also a major concentration of Bhats in Kathputli Colony wo were one of the first inhabitants here. Apart from the Bhats there are several other groups based on their profession or caste present in the colony, viz., the Kalandar, the Massaits, the Bhopas, the Naits, acrobats, etc. who all are mostly from Rajastan and are considered as artists. Apart from these ther eare groups based on
“The mind, by seeking to normalize what it perceives, to make sense and resolve, is deceived, easily and constantly misdirected, and willing to be so for the sake of equilibrium. Our desire for order deludes us. I realize this not only at the magic show but while walking down Chowringhee. We dare not see what is really going on.” -Lee Siegel, Net of Magic (p. 426) |
Table of Contents Introduction 3 The Magicians’ Ghetto 5 Moving Slums: Urban Renewal or Urban Removal? 7 Memories of Urban Removal: Moving Slums as Spatial Morphology 12 Magical Urbanism and Urban Metis 14 Conclusion 16 References 17
introduction
Figure [ 1 ]: location of kathputli colony
Kathputli Colony is located very close to Shadipur Depot which is one of the main bus depots of Delhi. The area is very accessible which also makes the area a prime location and much in demand.
Kathputli Colony falls in zone G of Delhi. It is at walking distance from Shadipur Metro Station and adjoining to Pandu Nagar (South) and New Patel Nagar (East). The squatter settlement is spread over 5.2 ha of land and an in-situ rehabilitation programme is currently being planned for the area. The colonies houses around 3500 families out of which most of them are traditional street performers and artists on whom the colony is named so.
Kathputli means wooden puppet. It is an ancient Indian teatre form which is native of Rajasthan and was performed by Rajasthani Bhat community. There is also a major concentration of Bhats in Kathputli Colony wo were one of the first inhabitants here. Apart from the Bhats there are several other groups based on their profession or caste present in the colony, viz., the Kalandar, the Massaits, the Bhopas, the Naits, acrobats, etc. who all are mostly from Rajastan and are considered as artists. Apart from these ther eare groups based on
References: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-1-108211-Street-artists-fear-theyre-being-edgedout-of-modern-India. ‘Puppets in the hands of politicians!’ Hindustan Times, May 1, 2009. URL: http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Puppets-in-the-hands-ofpoliticians/Article1-406331.aspx http://www.rahejabuilders.com/pr-phoenix.asp Aneesha Mathur, ‘Show begins at Kathputli Colony,’ Indian Express (February 16, 2009). Accessed online at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/show-begins-at-kathputlicolony/423940/0. Tripti Lahiri, ‘Delhi Journal: From Slum to Skyscraper,’ The Wall Street Journal Online, (February 17, 2012), http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2012/02/17/delhi-journal-from-slumto-skyscraper/. Simon Wroe, (2010) ‘The Fate of Delhi’s “Magician’s Ghetto”’, More Intelligent Life. URL: http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/simon-wroe/what-will-become-delhis-slumperformers.