A thoroughly enjoyable and well written narrative of the authors' 1 year stay in one of the most ancient cities of the world - Delhi. The place I was born and brought up in, yet due to the rigmarole of 'life' never ended up knowing its history or origins .. really! There were times in school during history classes when we were kind of forced to read about all the kings, queens and battles and really, in all earnest, I didn't give 2 hoots on the subject. History and boredom was indeed and perhaps still is a hand-in-glove cliche!
But in reality I always liked a good story, thanks to my dad ( who was and is an awesome story telling machine ...literally). And so, I read a lot ... started with fairy tales and fiction and slowly progressing on life stories, biographies and also a little bit of history. :)
So when I picked this, well recommended book (thanks to my mom-in-law) I was sure I would learn far more about my hometown than I knew - and I did! I liked the personality of the author himself - a happy and down to earth, observant person who shows an immense capability to learn about a place so completely off a White persons' comfort zone. ( Really, my notion as an Indian about Westerners/ Whites are as people accustomed to extreme luxury and spending lives in pretty posh conditions - even if you keep aside the ghettos of NY and London etc. which never surface in the news and the austerity brought on by tough economic situations etc.) .. still.. so I completely appreciate Mr. Dalrymple for his efforts. This was written in the late 1980's - I was just a kid then of 5-6 years perhaps - reading it now perhaps a tad less than quarter of a century later!
He takes you through the eras of emperor Shah Jehan, Humayun, Aurangzeb, Tughlak, Nizamuddin etc. and through the stories behind all the old monuments in Delhi and its outskirts that I conveniently ignored forever even though I have passed by them countless number of times - like the Red Fort ( I have vague memory of staring at it from outside, but if you don't know its history it just looks like a very reddish big fort and nothing else), even that old and common site of Qutub Minar and the inside gullies of Old Delhi - Chandni Chowk ( where one only visits on instances of marriage and to eat some old world delicacies and sweets) - it is after all reputed for some intricately brocaded wedding attire that you just might not find anywhere in India ( this though may not be completely true now coz if you pay a lot more than what its worth, you would find intricately done Indian wear in most plush malls all over New Delhi- only they charge a bomb!) - so shell out and buy anything!
Also, he goes through most topics unique and lovely about New Delhi - how still the people inhabiting the capital of India are in many ways more superstitious than one could have possibly imagined - considering how certain superstitions started like a million years ago, how chauvinism is a part and parcel of life there, how you still find a lot of yogi's (more fake than genuine) on the banks of river Yamuna (which he interestingly keeps calling Jumna) fasting and meditating, how seasons are always extreme, how people living in Delhi still reminisce about everything having changed for the worse every year every season every generation. He also talks about eunuchs and beliefs behind them and their way of living, also touches upon the old ritual of pigeon owning, training and pigeon flying that still happens in Old Delhi - along with cock fights and bettings. Seriously I thought that used to happen in the era of the kings and not active now.
He talks about Vedas, and how still the oldest and longest manuscript of the hindu religion the 'Mahabharatha' is still widely read, learnt and taught to every new generation. He also goes through a lot of archeological evidence of the existence of the past and all the proof lying around that people have completely lost interest in!
I am soo soo intrigued now, I really feel like going back home and visiting all that skipped my eyes and understanding - I also feel like literally digging down deep into the history of Delhi and knowing a few things about my race a bit more! I recommend the book to people interested in the city of New Delhi, India!
