Defence Colony

Summary

Defence Colony is a neighbourhood in Delhi. It was built in the 1960s for veterans of the Indian Armed Forces.[1][2] It serves as the administrative headquarters of the South East Delhi district of Delhi.

Defence Colony
Defence Colony
Nickname: 
Def Col
Defence Colony is located in Delhi
Defence Colony
Defence Colony
Location in Delhi, India
Coordinates: 28°34′N 77°14′E / 28.57°N 77.23°E / 28.57; 77.23
CountryIndia
StateDelhi
DistrictSouth East Delhi
MetroNew Delhi
Population
 • Total8,000−10,000
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
110024
Urban Local BodyMCD

It is popular for being centrally located to all major parts of the city, its well-maintained parks, broad streets, active community clubs, and notable residents from entertainment and politics.[3][4] Defence Colony is home to many restaurants, coffee shops, art galleries and, shops.[5][6][7]

Overview edit

Defence Colony was created in the aftermath of the partition in 1947. Newly independent India allotted land to resettle serving Indian military officers whose homes lay across the new border in Muslim-majority Pakistan.[8] Besides its central location from most parts of the city of Delhi, the locality is immensely popular among all Delhiites for the exotic varieties of cuisines offered by many restaurants.[9][10][11]

Defence Colony Welfare Association Club, commonly referred to as Defence Colony Club was established in 1976 as Defence Colony Ex. Services Institute, however, was renamed in 1980 and functions under the Defence Colony Welfare Association.[12][4]

Historic monuments edit

Close to the main Defence Colony market inside a roundabout stands the octagonal tomb of Shaikh Ali, known as "Gumti of Shaikh Ali". Built-in the 15th-century Lodhi dynasty-era, near the historic area of Kotla Mubarakpur, it housed two graves inside the tomb until the early 20th-century, which are now long gone. The tomb has housed the Defence Colony Welfare Association (DCWA) office since 1960.[13][14][15]

Transportation edit

Defence Colony is accessible by many means of public transport including auto rickshaw, taxi, Delhi Transport Corporation buses as well as the Delhi Metro. The closest metro station to most of Defence Colony is Lajpat Nagar, which is an interchange station between the Violet Line and Pink Line.[16][17] For some parts of the Defence Colony, it is closer to walk to the South Extension metro station, which is on the Pink Line.[16][18] To the Northeast of Defence Colony is the Sewa Nagar railway station of the Delhi Ring Railway.[19][20]

To the South, Defence Colony is bounded by the Ring Road. To its east and west are Lala Lajpat Rai Marg and Bhishma Pitamah Marg respectively. The North of Defence Colony is bounded by the tracks of the Delhi Ring Railway.[21][22][23]

Establishments edit

  • Sagar Ratna, s south Indian food chain, 90 restaurants, opened its first restaurant here in 1986[24][25][26]
  • Defence Bakery opened in 1962, is known for its breads and pastries[27]
  • Vadehra Art Gallery, upscale art gallery[28]
  • 4S, Dive Bar, serving Thai and Chinese[29]
  • Nehru Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital[30]

Notable residents edit

Education edit

Places of worship edit

  • Gurudwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha
  • Shri Radha Krishna Mandir
  • Arya Samaj
  • Shiv Mandir
  • Defence Colony Jama Masjid
  • St. Luke's Church

References edit

  1. ^ "South Delhi's property prices down by 20–35%, Defence Colony and Vasant Vihar worst hit". The Economic Times. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  2. ^ Onkar Singh (2005). Indian ex-servicemen. Krishna Prakashan Media. pp. 108–. ISBN 978-81-7933-175-0.
  3. ^ "India property: the green oasis of New Delhi's Defence Colony". Financial Times. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Welcome to Defence Colony(WA) Club". dcwa.club. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  5. ^ The Rough Guide to India. Rough Guides. 2003. pp. 125–. ISBN 978-1-84353-089-3. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  6. ^ Vir Sanghvi (31 August 2013). "Rude Food: in the food lanes of Delhi". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  7. ^ Gehi, Reema (9 February 2020). "The who's who of India's art scene". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  8. ^ "India property: The green oasis of New Delhi's Defence Colony". Financial Times. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  9. ^ "Restaurants in Defence Colony". Zomato. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  10. ^ "Restaurants in Defence Colony". www.tripadvisor.in. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  11. ^ "Restaurants in Defence Colony, South Delhi". www.eazydiner.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  12. ^ "About Club". Defence Colony Welfare Association Club. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  13. ^ "Colony welfare office in Lodi-era tomb". Hindustan Times. 8 June 2013. Archived from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  14. ^ "Present Condition of Gumti of Shaikh Ali at Defence Colony market round about". Government of Delhi. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  15. ^ "Residents' body using Lodi-era tomb as office, Delhi high court seeks explanation". Hindustan Times. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Nearest Metro Station to Defence Colony Delhi - YoMetro". YoMetro : Metro Travel Guide. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  17. ^ "Lajpat Nagar metro station". www.delhimetrorail.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  18. ^ "South Extension metro station". www.delhimetrorail.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  19. ^ "Nearest Railway Stations to Defence Colony". trainspy.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  20. ^ "Sewa Nagar railway station". Redbus.
  21. ^ "Map of Defence Colony". Mapsofindia.com.
  22. ^ "Defence Colony". South Delhi Prime. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  23. ^ "Defence Colony in South Delhi". www.delhionline.in. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  24. ^ "Sagar Ratna files police complaint against rumour-monger". outlookindia.com. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  25. ^ "Sagar Ratna refutes claim that its delivery boys tested positive for Corona – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  26. ^ Singh, Paras (25 May 2020). "Delhi: Sagar Ratna files police complaint over Covid rumours". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  27. ^ Saikia, Arunabh (2 June 2016). "Defence Bakery: The Delhi bakery where your bread is not (potentially) cancer causing". Livemint. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  28. ^ "Culture in the capital: Visits by appointment only as art galleries open to a distanced world". The Indian Express. 21 June 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  29. ^ "May the 4S be with you". dailyo.in. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  30. ^ Nigam, Chayyanika (21 April 2020). "Defence Colony residents object to new Covid-19 hospital". India Today. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  31. ^ Srinivasan, Kamesh (12 August 2019). "'I learnt to embrace whatever came my way': former tennis player Vishal Uppal". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  32. ^ "Fashion designer Rohit Bal arrested from Defence Colony following fight with neighbour". The Indian Express. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  33. ^ "The extraordinary life and times of Nafisa Ali Sodhi". femina.in. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  34. ^ "The Kid's Alright". gqindia.com. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  35. ^ "South Delhi Public School l Defence Colony l New Delhi". www.southdelhipublicschool.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  36. ^ "Delhi school events: SDPS conducts online activities & competitions". Hindustan Times. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  37. ^ "Delhi school events: Dr. Radhakrishnan International School, Defence Colony, organises special function". Hindustan Times. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2023.