I call myself one of the early settlers of Vasant Vihar, since our house in E-Block was amongst the first five to be completed in mid-1969. We moved here in December 1970. Like many of us, I have watched it develop and flourish into one of the poshest colonies of Delhi. I can’t think of a better planned colony, with so many parks, shopping centers and schools for different age groups. An almost self-sufficient colony, with even its own Metro station now, that enables you to get to the airport in a jiffy.
When we first moved to Vasant Vihar, it had no bus stops. I was studying in Modern School at Barakhamba Road and initially, I would cycle to Moti Bagh, leave my bicycle at a relative’s place and take the Route 9 bus from there. After frequent delays and mishaps because there were very few buses, I started cycling down to Barakhamba Road. It was a breeze in those days, notwithstanding extremes of weather. After all, traffic was minimal in those days! Two or three years later buses started moving via Vasant Vihar and the first bus route was Route 14B.
We could easily see Malai Mandir from the ground floor and Qutub Minar from the first floor. There was also a very clear, unencumbered view of all flights landing on Runway 28.
I remember the first shop in E Block Market was a ration shop, later converted to Vijay Medicos. Those were the days when a ration shop was the main source of wheat and rice and sugar, though the quality was always variable. I remember how there would be long lines outside the DMS booth on Paschimi Marg to get our daily quota of milk. This booth is still there but it sells various other items apart from milk!! Delhi city’s first Green Chick Shop was also opened in the E-Block market.
The first school to be established in Vasant Vihar was Tagore International School on Paschimi Marg in the year 1972. Then came Guru Harkishan Public School. Modern School came up in 1975 and DPS a few years thereafter.
There were certain areas marked out as Tot Lots, where they had planned parks for children. Unfortunately, as the years passed, some of these got converted into dwelling units and the others, such as the one opposite C-5 road, became parks for everyone and we lost the concept of making parks specially for toddlers. But the bigger parks were great for us to play variety of games with children from within the block as well as from other blocks and neighbouring areas. Earlier even weddings were held in the parks, and I remember my sister’s wedding reception being held in the E Block Park in 1972. My own wedding reception was held in the park in 1982.
Although the look of Vasant Vihar is changing with single-storeyed bungalows being replaced by multi-storeyed apartments, it remains a lovely colony and the bonhomie that exists between neighbours is fantastic. I think there us something in it for every age group.
Good days were a part of Vasant Vihar then, and even today we are sharing good memories with our children and grandchildren.
This is our home! It’s beautiful, and the responsibility to make it even more beautiful rests with us!!
By RAJKAMAL SHARMA
E-13/8, Vasant Vihar