Kathputli Colony is a colony of street performers in Shadipur Depot area of Delhi. For the last 50 years, it is home to some 2,800 families of magicians, snake charmers, acrobats, singers, dancers, actors, traditional healers and musicians and especially puppeteers or ‘kathputli’-performers from Rajasthan.

The colony is undergoing an in situ redevelopment plan by DDA as a PPP project.

The community felt that it was not getting proper design input from the stakeholders. At behest of the Court an Advisory Committee was appointed, who in turn requested NMA to prepare a design, pro bono, on behalf of the community. NMA explored various options, the primary two being 1) 8-storey development with a ‘second’ ground created above the fourth floor and b) high density/low rise ground-plus-three development. In both the need for open spaces as extension to the community’s needs were addressed.

Key project details: Project size (Plot Area): 52,160 sqm      No. of Dwelling Units: 2,800