The park in Nizamuddin Basti is the result of a new initiative by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture
“This space was appropriated by garbage, animals and addicts. There was no way we could even step in here…” Najma says as she encourages you to look around the recently renovated park in the middle of the Nizamuddin Basti in Delhi, christened the Zenana Bagh (Women’s Park). Marked by high walls with sandstone jalis (latticework), manicured lawns and the absence of men, this women’s only space in a conservative locality is the new hangout for shy adolescents, home makers in need of a breather and the older women who want to exchange notes on recipes and domestic squabbles.
In between mild workout and some not-so-strenuous exercises, the women sit down to chat. Some keep an eye on their children playing on the nearby swings and for some it is the venue for some quiet “me-time”.
Owned by the Delhi Development Authority the park was an example of dilapidation brought on by neglect, quite like a few other parks in the vicinity. The women’s park as it stands today, says Najma, is the result of community initiative started by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
via The Hindu : Cities / Delhi : Zenana Bagh gives women a space of their own.
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