Saraswati Vihar

Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of learning and knowledge. Vihar is the Sanskrit word for dwelling. "Saraswati Vihar" literally means Saraswati's abode. This residential neighbourhood was created as a group housing society of school teachers in the 1970s. Teachers are the repository of knowledge and sources of learning. Hence the name.

Govt notified agricultural land of various villages such as Madi Pur, Shakur Pur, Mangol Pur Kalan, Pitampura etc in 1961 and acquired on different dates. Govt( Delhi Administration) allotted some of the land of village Salim Pur Mazra Madi Pur ( Be Chirag Mauza ) to the government teachers'cooprative house building society. The land was far away from Delhi city as it existed then and initially rural area The area was developed and construction of houses by members of society was started before 1975.

The layout of the entire housing society was well-designed with green parks, open spaces, schools, sweet shop and commercial centre. The teachers built their houses on the plots of land leased to them, generally by taking loans from the government or banks. By 1982, a healthy percentage of residents started settling in. During those days, there was a scarcity of water and people used to get water from the nearby Rani Bagh market.

Later the lease was converted into ownership. The plot sizes were about 140 to 330 square metres. Some next-generation heirs of the teachers have sold the houses as the prices have increased about five thousand times. For example, a 200 square metre plot of land originally purchased in 1975 for about Rs.16,000 now sells for about Rs.100 to 120 million. Originally only two storeys were allowed to be built on about two-thirds area of the plot. Now five floors can be built on about 90% area of the plot. Real estate prices have skyrocketed over the years due to this and other reasons.

Some persons who were not teachers or are not heirs of teachers have purchased some houses or floors here and live here. The number of original allottees selling off their land or getting their houses redeveloped by real estate builders in exchange for newly built floors and some cash is increasing.