The Village in the City, The City in the Village*

The architectural, economic, social, cultural and political changes that take place in the village enclaves in cities should be a subject of research. In the case of a village located on the periphery of a city, one piece of land after another is sold to individuals, business firms, property agents, institutions, government establishments, and others in the city. An important concomitant of urbanization in India is that villages located outside the boundaries of a city are included in it over time. Many of the village enclaves continue with a lot of their traditional collective activities and even acquire special statutory status within the city, such as that of a village panchayat. The impact of these village enclaves on city life should be studied intensively. The village cows, buffaloes, donkeys, and other animals roam around the city streets and even arterial roads. Recognition of a village as a statutory town is a complex bureaucratic decision, often influenced by local political forces.