Have you heard of madanpur khadar? An urban village with an 800 year history. Named after thakur madan singh chauhan, it is on the banks of yamuna river (hence the term ‘khadar’) and is in south east delhi, right on the delhi-up border.

In 1966, the village was officially declared an urban village and has since been growing and is now home to many people. The locals are super friendly and you can still see the old world charm here. There are shops, a small temple and other amenities plus.

If you want to live close to nature but still have access to modern facilities, it’s a great place. The best part about this village is that the people here still maintain their traditional values alive, if you can walk through the lanes of the village, that’s like walking into the past in the present!

The 800 year old village of madanpur khadar was named after thakur madan singh chauhan, who was originally a warrior in the samrat prithviraj chauhan army and his ancestors had lived in the village for centuries, around 600 years ago, some of madan singh’s family members left the village and settled in garh ganga and haridwar.

Now, madanpur khadar is a village in full bloom and chaotic centre of activity. To the visitors of the village there will be a unique combination of culture, tradition and modernity. People who reside in the village are quite varied, and the locals have managed to preserve their great heritage and culture. It has many gorgeous traditional buildings, temples and markets, which give you some idea of its fascinating past. While it is fitted with lots of modern amenities and facilities like schools, medical centres, and infrastructure, etc., however, it is also equipped with many modern amenities and facilities.

It has been only since its formation in 2004, initially the land was barren, with no proper infrastructure or basic amenities. Jj colony was created only when the slum dwellers from across delhi were forcefully evicted and relocated to the urban periphery.

The physical structure, political system, economic conditions and social norms of the community have changed enormous since then. Though much has been achieved, the dangers still loom: of socioeconomic deprivation, of lack of access to transport, of women’s safety.

In the past 16 years, the physical structure of the colony has changed dramatically. The area was initially full of agricultural canals, dusty roads, and little access to electricity and water. But today there are paved roads, electricity and water as readies at hand, and the area has been cleaned up and beautified.

There is a drastic change politically and many changes in the arena as well and The local government is actively committed towards community development and there is more accountability and transparency amongst the elected officials of the community, also the community is becoming more vocal about their rights and at the time of any grievance.

The situation is economically better since the establishment of jj colony and there are many jobs in the area and local businesses are booming or the residents have become financially independent and can invest in their own education and businesses.

The colony has also been drastically transformed socially. The community is now united and thus no longer are there caste or religious divides regarding the region. The women of these states are also becoming more empowered and are more keenly participating in economic and social activities.

All these positive changes notwithstanding, the colony still has many challenges. They lack basic amenities, mobility and safety for women is some of the major issues to be addressed. A local government with the help from the community members should come in handy to address these issues in order to ensure that the colony keeps on growing and developing.