Thriving Vernacular Economies in the Sustainable Built Environment of Purani Delhi

Inside the meandering labyrinth of long lanes in Purani Dilli (Old Delhi), as it is fondly called, thrive these age-old vernacular economies. These are indigenous, inherent and local, making it the ubiquitous hub of the wholesale market of entire south-east Asia. The local churiwala (bangle seller), lehngawale (traditional full-length skirt seller), hakim/vaid (local therapist), pansari (grocer) are thriving while adapting with the dynamism in current times, in Old Delhi. The talk of a revival of vernacular crafts, designs and traditional items has often been raised, sustainability and vernacular are often marginalized rather ignored. Only recently, India has felt the need to have its own design language, The lack of impetus to uplift thriving vernacular economies needs to be addressed, given the fact that the world now has to be sustainable to survive, let alone plan for the future. It is imperative to recognize that craft and design are not a market of the elite or exotic from the East but rather the need of the hour in terms of time and place. A sustainable built environment and its impact on the stakeholders was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively through a case study from the Purani Dilli. This model presented could address our quest for sustainable local communities with limited or no bearing on the environment and cognitive well-being of the inhabitants. The observation methodology adopted for fieldwork as primary research with extensive literature review was analyzed on four pillars of sustainability. The paper concludes that sustainable, flexible, adaptable, self-sustaining vernacular economies continue thriving with new impetus, ideas, and outlook.