The Last Months of the Kathputli Colony, New Delhi.

The 110 page book received a 2nd place in the Australian Photographic Society 2019 photo book competition.

 Hosted by the APS print group and Momento Pro, in conjunction with this years APSCON-2019, in Ballarat Victoria.

Photographing Kathputli.

It was in Africa, April 2017 when I first met my photographer friend Inger Vandyke. She talked about travelling to India and invited me to join her on a visit to Kathputli to photograph and document the artist colony.

Driving through the streets of New Delhi on our way to Kathputli, I didn't know what to expect and was anxious about photographing these people. My fears quickly melted away as I found myself surprised by the slum and its residents in the most beautiful way.

Pages from the book ; 

"Kathputli"   a combination of two Rajasthani language words Kath meaning wood and putti meaning puppet.

The Kathputli Colony, New Delhi India

Kathputli, widely known as the 'puppet colony', is situated in the western slums of New Delhi.

The community was home to several generations of traditional folk artist. The nomadic families, which consist of acrobats, puppeteers, dancers, street performers and magicians, settled here almost four decades ago.

Since 2009 local authorities have been threatening to demolish the slum, which was located close to the city centre- a very attractive location for developers.

In 2014 the tension between the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Kathputli residents were at an-all time high. The DDA had partnered with a real estate company and was attempting to relocate residents to transit camps as part of an 'in-situ slum rehabilitation scheme'. Once the colony was vacated, residents were promised modern flats as part of the multi-story building construction. Only around 500 of the estimated 3,000 families moved to the transit camps - the rest decided to stay.

For the past few years, residents of Kathputli continue to face the constant threat of eviction and in October 2017, the curtain finally fell on the colony when 400 homes were razed to the ground.

My introduction to Kathputli 

We walked for two days with local guide Bunty through narrow alleys, taking care not to step in open sewer drains, I was mesmerised by the world of Kathputli.

The colony was colourful and creative, but it was no fairytale existence. There were no toilets or clean water, and the air was thick with the smell of faeces, fires and cooking fat.

Tiny houses featured just one room where families would live, eat and sleep. Washing lines were filled with colourful clothing, and woman cooked on the street while people slept outside beneath tarps. Children cried happily as they played and followed us, shook our hands and talked to us.

It was a crowded, noisy and bustling world far from the western ideal of a clean home and community. And yet, to thousands of residents, this was their home.

Where culture and tradition lives

Puppeteers, dancers, jugglers and magicians are some of the many talented artists who called Kathputli home.

However, they're more then just artists- they're preservers of their arts and would pass their skills and knowledge to future generations.

Mixed emotions 

I felt so many emotions as I wandered the streets of Kathputli.

In April it was hot and humid. Children played amongst rubble and rubbish, woman cooked on small wood stoves and did their washing in the streets and people used open drains as bathrooms.

However, I couldn't help but be swept away of the happiness and curiosity of the friendly residents.

We accepted an invitation to join a group of colourfully dressed woman preparing for a wedding as they danced and drank freshly brewed beer.

The path to progress 

The last few years, residents have been living in fear of losing their homes and traditions to progress.

The families were skeptical of the transit camps on the outskirts of New Delhi where it would be extremely difficult for them to commute to the city for work.

They also faced a major threat to their way of life- despite their poor living conditions they wanted to preserve their arts and dignity.

The demolition

We visited Kathputli in April 2017- six months later its residents would be homeless and a piece of Delhi's cultural heritage was destroyed.

I hope that through my Images, the Kathputli community would not be forgotten,

Ingrid Hendriksen.

Photo book self- published ,designed and compiled by Ingrid Hendriksen, printed by Momento-Pro. 

The judges comments

"photography, design and layout all excellent; beautiful images and sequencing; a really impressive visual narrative"

The photo book is available at the Moment Shop ;The last months of Kathputli.