Delhi, the capital of India, is a city with a rich history and a vibrant culture. It is famous for its Mughal and British Era Architecture. But, recently it is getting popular for its Sustainable Architecture. With places with Village like surroundings, like Dilli Haat and Dastkaar Mela, it has now moved to public spaces that are mostly built with Waste Material or are using renewable energy such as Solar Energy to lighten up the surroundings.. Let’s take a look at 5 such Eco places to visit in Delhi…..
- Waste to Wonder Park – It is situated near Nizammudin on Pink line and Inderprastha Metro Station on Blue line. Here, you can see the replicas of all the Seven Wonders Of World like Taj Mahal, Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower of Paris, Leaning Tower of Pisa etc. It is inspired by the Kota’s 7 Wonder’s Park, but the special thing is that , the monuments are made up of Industrial Waste like metal sheets, angles, railings, scrap pipes, cycles chains and car rims. You can plan a Picnic and roam around with friends and click beautiful selfies in front of the iconic Monuments.
2. Bharat Darshan Park – It is situated near Punjabi Bagh Metro Station. You can take Battery Rickshaw to reach the exact location. Here also, the Monuments are made up of Industrial Waste. As the name suggests, the focus is on Indian Monuments such as Sanchi Stupa, Nalanda University, Konark Sun Temple, Meenakshi Temple etc. In the beginning, You are welcomed by a grand Banyan tree, whose lighting effect and fountains in the evening make it very beautiful.
Then comes the Kedarnath, Badrinath, Dwarkadish and Jaganath Puri shrines with soothing Mantras Chanting in the surroundings, then comes Hampi, Mahabat Mahal, Taj Mahal and Char Minar. Near Qutub Minar, there is a beautiful staircase, where you can take rest or can click beautiful pictures.
3. Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra, Gandhi Darshan – It is situated near the Main Entry of Raj Ghat, lots of tourist buses stand in the queue in the parking which is in front of Raj Ghat. But less than half of the people move to Gandhi Darshan. May be because people think that it is a boring Museum with lots of antiques and old pictures. But let me tell you that it is not the case with this place.
The Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra at Gandhi Darshan added by Modiji in August 2020 is fully high tech and advanced. It has an Ampitheatre, where you will experience a unique 360° audio visual immersive show, which will tell you the story of Swachhata and India. From 1947 when India gained independence from British rule, to the 1980s when the first sanitation programmes were launched by the government, to 2014 when the Swachh Bharat Mission was launched. Then there is gaming section which focuses on segregation of Waste and Outdoor Exhibits show sculptors of Gandhiji with Kids and Rani Mistris in action.
4. Sunder Nursery – Located near JLN Stadium Metro Station on Violet line, it is one of the beautiful restored parks of Delhi. IT can serve as a perfect picnic spot for kids and family amid the hustle and bustle of city life. The garden complex has undergone an extensive restoration project, undertaken by Aga Khan Trust for Culture India, jointly with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Central Public Works Department (CPWD) which currently runs the garden. Now, there are recreated Persian gardens, Rose Gardens, an artificial lake with recycled water, Lakkarwala Burj and Sunder Burj. It has various types of Tree species such as
- Amrood, Psidium guajava
- Peelu, Salvadora persica
- Sonjna, Moringa oleifera
- Chalta, Dilienia indica
It a place of Bird Lovers also because of presence of Birds such as
It has a lakeside Cafe also viz. Fabcafe, here you can fulfill your hunger pangs with delicious Paranthas and Samosas.
5) Dastkaar Mela- Dastkar is a private not-for-profit NGO established in 1981, working to support traditional Indian craftspeople, many of them women and village based, with the objective of helping craftspeople regain their place in the economic mainstream.
Dastkar assists craftspeople through support service activities such as capacity building workshops, skills training, collaborative design innovation and product development; helping them transform traditional skills into products that have contemporary appeal, thereby providing craft communities with a source of permanent employment and sustained earning.
Dastkar provides marketing platforms to craftspeople, thereby empowering the crafts community to bypass exploitative middlemen and directly operate in the market. Dastkar bazaars and exhibitions bring together craftspeople, producer groups, environmental organisations, social activists & cultural performers with urban consumers, students and international buyers.
The Mela is organised time to time @ Nature Bazaar Venue, Kisan Haat Andheria Modh, Anuvrat Marg New Delhi 110074 India. Here, you can explore various Indian Artforms as well as authentic Indian food.
Dastkar Mela, Eco Places in Delhi
6) Okhla Bird Sanctuary – Located near Okhla Bird sanctuary metro station, Magenta line, it is one of the most peaceful place in Delhi.During the months of October to March, it is visited by thousands of migratory birds including Shoveller Duck, Northern Pintail, Common Teal, Gadwall Duck and Blue Winged Teal. It is an ideal place for nature lovers and bird watchers.It has an area of approximately 4 square kilometres and is situated at the entrance of NOIDA in Gautam Budh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh. It is situated at a point where river Yamuna enters the state of Uttar Pradesh leaving the territory of Delhi. It is one of the 15 bird sanctuaries in the state.
Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Eco places in Delhi
With all these beautiful places, We have Qudsiya Bagh (near Kashmere Gate), Roshnara Bagh, Kamla Nehru Ridge which are the Green Lungs of Delhi but need immediate , care and attention as three of them are not in a good state as per preserving a historical perspective. Fortunately, lot of development work is underway in Roshanara Bagh. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is planning to add new features to the Roshanara Bagh, including a watch tower, play zone, and cafeteria. Work on reviving the lake is already underway and is expected to be completed by December, 2023.