Home to concrete mazes and havelis, Shahpur Jat makes peace with past
During its early days, the fort overlooked vast expanses of farmland. Today they have become the designated parking area of the village, housing cars of all makes and colour.
3 min read
The main income for most of the residents comes from rented buildings. Praveen Khanna
Shahpur Jat — a south Delhi village famous today for its boutiques and eateries — was once a part of Siri Fort, built by Alauddin Khilji in the 14th century, according to its older residents whose families have been residing in the area for generations.
Parts of the fort’s walls are still visible in parts of the village, but they look upon sights vastly different from when they were built. During its early days, the fort overlooked vast expanses of farmland. Today they have become the designated parking area of the village, housing cars of all makes and colour.
This change is not an aberration, and is visible throughout Shahpur Jat — a balance between the old and the new. Fifty-year-old Rajesh, who was born and brought up in the village, fondly remembers the Shahpur Jat of his childhood, which comprised low rise structures and farmland.
“It was only in the 1980s, during the time of the Asian Games, that all this development began.” he says. “When the government took people’s farmland to utilise it for the games, they were paid compensation. Some bought land in other places with that money and moved out but a lot of people also chose to stay and expand their houses and give out rooms for rent.”
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Since Shahpur Jat is a ‘Lal Dora’ area, implying residents do not need to, among other things, adhere to building bylaws, this expansion of houses by individual residents was done in an uncoordinated, unplanned, and haphazard manner.
Shahpur Jat is now a concrete maze as well as a village of paradoxes, where narrow, winding lanes and dark alleys unexpectedly open up into sunny squares. Crumbling havelis stand next to more modern, four storey buildings, roadside vendors set up their stalls opposite posh cafes.
Elders of the village hold a panchayat once in two or three months in a square that is only metres away from some of the most expensive boutiques.
For many residents of the Jat-dominated village, who have little education and know only farming, the rent received from tenants is their main source of income. There are, however, some people in the village who feel its development has left a lot to be desired.
“When I first came here, I used to pay Rs 1,000 as rent to my landlord, but now he charges Rs 10,000 for the same room. My rent has increased but work is almost the same.” said a Bengali tailor,who moved to Shahpur Jat 20 years ago. “This is the situation for most migrants. Our landlords know we will be reluctant to move out because there are more opportunities for work here.”
Women and the elders of Shahpur Jat also voiced concerns of the impact the development of the village has had on male residents who “spend their days drinking and gambling since most of their income now comes from rent”.
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