With its tree-lined streets, old government flats and colourful murals, Lodhi Colony is one of South Delhi's most recognisable neighbourhoods. Today, it draws visitors for its street art and distinctive old-world charm. But behind its familiar streets lies a lesser-known story of how this part of the capital came to be.
Lodhi Colony was built during the Second World War
Lodhi Colony's origins can be traced to the early 1940s, when the Second World War brought significant changes to Delhi. Industrial and commercial activities expanded, more people moved to the capital for work, and government operations grew. This created a need for additional housing.
A 1961 Census of India report on Delhi records that the city's population rose from 3.48 lakh in 1931 to 5.22 lakh in 1941. The report specifically mentions that Lodi Colony, as it was spelt at the time, was developed during the war to accommodate the additional population.
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The neighbourhood was designed by British architect Walter Sykes George and featured low-rise residential blocks arranged around open spaces and gardens. Its wide pavements and greenery were also part of the original layout.
{{/usCountry}}The neighbourhood was designed by British architect Walter Sykes George and featured low-rise residential blocks arranged around open spaces and gardens. Its wide pavements and greenery were also part of the original layout.
{{/usCountry}}According to the Goethe-Institut, Lodhi Colony was among the last government housing neighbourhoods built during British rule in the 1940s.
What happened to Lodhi Colony after Independence
Delhi's housing needs changed dramatically after Partition in 1947. The arrival of refugees from across the newly created border put enormous pressure on the city's existing housing facilities.
By the mid-1950s, refugees had begun moving into vacant government flats in Lodhi Colony, as reported by Hindustan Times. This marked another change in the neighbourhood's history, which had originally been developed to accommodate government employees.
Several new residential colonies also came up across Delhi during this period to accommodate displaced families and the city's growing population.
How Lodhi Colony became Delhi's street art district
Lodhi Colony has acquired a new identity over the past decade, thanks to its colourful murals. In 2016, the St+art India Foundation began working with Indian and international artists to paint large-scale artworks on the walls of residential buildings.
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The project gradually transformed ordinary building facades into public art spaces. Today, visitors can walk through the neighbourhood and spot murals depicting themes such as culture, nature, heritage and social issues.
The Goethe-Institut's account of Lodhi Art District traces how the initiative helped turn the neighbourhood into an open-air art gallery.
Lodhi Colony has come a long way from being a government housing area during the war to becoming one of Delhi's most popular street art destinations.