Defence Colony is a neighbourhood in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
. It was built in the 1960s for
veteran
A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military.
A military veteran that h ...
s of the
Indian Armed Forces
The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Armed Forces are supported by th ...
.
It serves as the administrative headquarters of the
South East Delhi
South East Delhi is an administrative district of the National Capital Territory of Delhi in India.
This district was carved out in 2012 along with Shahdara, taking the total number to 11 administrative districts in Delhi.
Geography
The South ...
district of Delhi.
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. Defence Colony is home to many restaurants,
coffee shops
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-caf ...
, art galleries and, shops.
Overview
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
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
. 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 that it has on offer . There are many restaurants in Defence Colony.
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.
Historic monuments
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
The Lodi dynasty ( ps, لودي سلسله; fa, سلسله لودی) was an Afghan dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate from 1451 to 1526. It was the fifth and final dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, and was founded by Bahlul Khan Lodi when h ...
-era, near the historic area of
Kotla Mubarakpur
Kotla Mubarakpur Complex, a medieval famous urban village, is a market place with residential colony in South central part of New Delhi.
Kotla Mubarakpur classified by the Delhi Development Authority (D.D.A.) as an Urban Village which is dominat ...
, 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.
Transportation
Defence Colony is accessible by many means of public transport including
auto rickshaw
An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many terms in various countries including auto, auto rickshaw, baby taxi, mototaxi, pigeon, jonnybee, bajaj ...
, taxi,
Delhi Transport Corporation
Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) is the main public transport operator of Delhi. It is the largest CNG-powered bus service operator in the world.
History
The Delhi Transport Corporation was incorporated in May 1948 by the Indian governme ...
buses as well as the
Delhi Metro
The Delhi Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh, in the National Capital Region of India. The network consists of 10 colou ...
. The closest metro station to most of Defence Colony is
Lajpat Nagar
Lajpat Nagar is a residential and commercial neighborhood in the South East Delhi district of Delhi. It was named in honor of Lala Lajpat Rai and is today most known for the Lajpat Nagar Central Market. This area is not to be confused with the ...
, which is an interchange station between the
Violet Line and
Pink Line. For some parts of the Defence Colony, it is closer to walk to the
South Extension metro station, which is on the
Pink Line. To the Northeast of Defence Colony is the Sewa Nagar railway station of the
Delhi Ring Railway
The Delhi Ring railway, a part of Delhi's suburban railway services, is a circular railway network in Delhi that runs parallel to the Ring Road. It was laid in 1975 primarily to service freight trains that could bypass the crowded and passeng ...
.
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
The Delhi Ring railway, a part of Delhi's suburban railway services, is a circular railway network in Delhi that runs parallel to the Ring Road. It was laid in 1975 primarily to service freight trains that could bypass the crowded and passeng ...
.
Establishments
* Sagar Ratna, s south Indian food chain, 90 restaurants, opened its first restaurant here in 1986
* Defence Bakery opened in 1962, is known for its breads and pastries
* Vadehra Art Gallery, upscale art gallery
* 4S, Dive Bar, serving Thai and Chinese
* Nehru Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital
* Gulshan Estate Agents Pvt Ltd, established in 1959, have been the Realtors of this colony for a long time and have facilitated the residents for renting out and redevelopment of the houses.
Residents
*
Vishal Uppal, Indian national tennis player
*
Rohit Bal
Rohit Bal is an Indian fashion designer. He designs for both men and women.
Early life
Rohit Bal was born in the city of Srinagar in the Jammu and Kashmir state of India on 8 May 1961 into a Kashmiri Pandit family. Bal received his Bach ...
, Indian fashion designer
*
Nafisa Ali
Nafisa Ali (born 18 January 1957) is an Indian actress and politician from All India Trinamool Congress and a social activist.
Early life
Nafisa Ali was born in Kolkata, the daughter of Ahmed Ali, a Bengali Muslim man and Philomena Torresan, ...
, former Miss India
*
Sidharth Malhotra
Sidharth Malhotra (; born 16 January 1985) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. He began his career as a fashion model, but left it to pursue an acting career. He made his acting debut with a minor role in the television serial ''Dhart ...
, actor
Education
*
South Delhi Public School, a senior secondary school affiliated with the
CBSE
* Dr Radha Krishan International School in C Block.
Places of worship
* Gurudwara Singh Sabha
* Shri Radha Krishna Mandir
* Arya Samaj
* Shiv Mandir
* Defence Colony Jama Masjid
References
External links
Defence Colony Welfare Association Club, website{{Neighborhoods of Delhi
Neighbourhoods in Delhi
District subdivisions of Delhi
South East Delhi district