Most of us think of posh malls and trendy cafes when we think of South Delhi. But today's posh colonies were once a part of Delhi Sultanate and if you look closely enough, you may still come across remains of the city of Jahanpanah! But what about the people of Jahanpanah? Did you know of the several villages that still dot this area?
This Action Learning Saturday, we venture out to explore the lives, experiences, and struggles of urban villages. Stuck smack in the middle of the future and the past, with Select City Walk on one side and Rural Family traditions on the other side. The village is situated in the historical city of Jahanpanah and hosts Khirki Masjid.
While the walk will us to the monuments of the area including Khirki Masjid and Satpula and explore the history and architecture of these monuments, what will make this walk unique would be the interaction with the villagers and an attempt to understand how their lives and the environment has changed in recent times.
Some of the highlights of this walk would be: The elderly in the village believe that the Khirki Masjid is actually Kharak Singh's Palace which is historically inaccurate. It plays a very important role in how the community relates to the monument. Such differences have also led to a few communal tensions in the past which would be also talked about. Tracing the evolution of the village community which is almost 600 years old and has been a witness to Delhi’s development as a cosmopolitan city. Spend another Saturday afternoon with us exploring how history can be disputed, how Peri-Urban lives are shaped and how did we not know about this place before?!
About the Facilitator: Ekta is a resident of Khirki Village has studied History at St. Stephen’s College and Public Policy at National Law School of India University, Bangalore. Her Master’s dissertation on the value of heritage and impact of heritage conservation in the city has made her familiar with the city’s many monuments and their rich history. She is interested in the urban heritage of the city and how communities shape and reshape history.