Lajpat Nagar


Lajpat Nagar is a residential and commercial neighbourhood of the South East Delhi district of Delhi. It is named in honour of Lala Lajpat Rai, also known the Lion of Punjab, and is today most known for the Lajpat Nagar Central Market. Situated Close to Sector 16A Noida U.P the area has traffic in office hours.This area is not to be confused with the Lajpat Nagar in Ghaziabad in the NCR region.

Overview

The area is divided into four parts: Lajpat Nagar I, II, III and IV. Housing colonies like Amar Colony, Dayanand Colony, Double Storey, National Park and Vikram Vihar are also located in it. Lajpat Nagar is famous for its Central Market, a popular shopping destination, and also is known for the garments and textiles which are sold there.
The area falls partially under the Kasturba Nagar Constituency and part of it is in the South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency.

History

Lajpat Nagar was developed in the 1950s and most of its early residents were Hindus and Sikhs moving east from newly formed Pakistan following the partition of India in 1947. As such, many of these individuals are Multanis and Sindhis.. One part of Lajpat Nagar IV was named after Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, by Mr. B.N. Puri in 1957.
Initially, refugee camps were set up in Purana Quila, and refugees were allotted plots in areas like Lajpat Nagar, Patel Nagar, Rajendra Nagar. The plots were of 15x60 feet constructed like army barracks. The houses were all single story, with asbestos roofs, in the beginning, but now most of the houses are multi-storeyed in this neighborhood.
The colony also housed a refugee camp for Bengali widows, during the Bangladesh Liberation War, known as Kasturba Ashram. In 1960, Servants of the People Society after functioning for many years since Partition of India, shifted from the residence of MP Lala Achint Ram to a new building known as Lajpat Bhawan.
In the recent years, Lajpat Nagar has become a preferred residential neighborhood for tourists and certain refugees from various countries, including Afghanistan, who often travel to New Delhi as medical tourists, owing to the presence of affordable quality health care in the capital. It is common to see individuals from different parts of India, Afghanistan, Pakistan and many African countries in this neighborhood.

Accessibility

Lajpat Nagar is well connected by Delhi Transport Corporation bus services and the Delhi Mass Rapid Transit System. Route number 543 connects Anand Vihar in East Delhi to Lajpat Nagar, and Teevr Mudrika connects Lajpat Nagar to Rohini in North Delhi and Punjabi Bagh in West Delhi. The Lajpat Nagar Station of the Delhi Metro has elevated platforms lying on Delhi Metro’s Violet Line and underground platforms on Delhi Metro's Pink Line. The station was opened to the public in 2010 along with the first section of the Violet Line. A new underpass connection has been opened in 2014 below Defence Colony-Lajpat Nagar flyover between Lajpat Nagar and Jangpura for easy access to areas like Jangpura Extension, Bhogal, and Nizamuddin. The area is also connected to the Delhi Suburban Railway with the Lajpat Nagar railway station
Lajpat Nagar is home to a large Punjabi community that is featured in multiple movies.