<div>Delhi has two faces, author R V Smith says in his introduction to this nostalgic collection of tales; a face which one sees every day and the other that is hidden and has to be discovered by lifting the veil. And this is precisely what he does. He lifts the veil to peek at the historic capital, the city of feats and festivals, of faith and mystery; at the heritage of this somewhat crumbling city inhabited by goats and beggars. Smith, a renowned journalist, traveller and chronicler of legends and anecdotes of Delhi once again writes about the city that he came to from Agra, found it difficult to adjust and live in, but over the years has learned to love it and write about the history that lives in its very stones and streets.<br /><br />He queries a lot and tries to answer the queries himself most of the time with myth and lore than with intense research and historical facts. In the process, we discover more questions that may be answered or may not. If they are not answered, why not go and find out yourself?<br /><br />He starts out with a foray into Delhi’s historical past, both the familiar and the unfamiliar. Sometimes it is a little confusing because of the sheer plethora of monuments, emperors, emperors’ wives, concubines and lovers, all of whom are described with equal emphasis and gusto. He combines a variety of topics, all diverse and interesting: quaint reminders of 1857; the zamzama maker i.e., the maker of a famed gun cast by Shah Nazar Khan, an Armenian Christian, and which is now in front of the Lahore museum; a number of caravanserais now the home of vagabonds, ghosts and their haunting and haunted stories; the place where Ghalib sat and sang, and an interesting edifice called ‘Namak haram ki haveli’, about a certain Bhavani Shankar who shifted his loyalty to the British and therefore the namak haram, which means the one who ate a table and then betrayed his host. He makes a case for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) taking on more work renovating and protecting ancient heritage buildings, although he is well aware of the 95 still awaiting protection. It’s a good case, for the number of tombs, mosques and palaces which have been despoiled, and encroached upon — a case of monumental neglect of Delhi’s rich heritage — is mindboggling. When I read this book, I am made aware of how much we can learn about Delhi’s historical past from Smith.<br /><br />The people Smith talks about include not just emperors and nobles, but also a variety of others such as Humayun’s first wife (I don’t remember reading anything about her anywhere), Colonel Skinner of the famed Skinner’s Horse, and of his great friendship with Col Fraser and some Raj emblems such as the statues of Victoria, especially at the Zenana hospital. Apparently, since she was so fecund herself — with nine children — it was a symbol of good luck for pregnant women! Names such as Umrao Jaan and Noor Enayat Khan pepper the book along with some unknown falcon fanciers. <br /><br />I imagine myself studying in an old building he describes — a haveli, where the classrooms had exquisite old world charm, the Surajkanya Shikshalaya. Another interesting building is the Barafkhana with a fascinating description of the old ice-making process. <br /><br />The chapter on feasts and festivals is also enlightening, including Diwali and the May Queen Ball. He talks about Sufism in the chapter on Faith and Mystery, and of the ghosts which still haunt buildings and burial places.<br /><br />The book ends fittingly — with tombstones. But this chapter is somewhat sketchy, with the tombstones chosen randomly and little organisation of his thought process.<br /><br />However, the editing and proof reading could have been better. The text could have done with some tightening and structure. Sometimes questions are uttered, but they are left hanging with no answers. Maybe the author’s intent was to make it stimulating for others to research. There is an overkill of names and relationships that confuse the reader. Although it’s a lot of trivia, it is interesting trivia. But one wonders about the relevance of some chapters, i.e., the one labelled “Historical sites through tears”. How do celebrities’ reactions matter?<br /><br />What does come through loud and clear is his interest in both ordinary and un-ordinary. His love of Delhi and his burning curiosity to know more is refreshing. I do plan to take this book on my next visit to Delhi and follow some unseen paths Smith has indicated. <br /></div>
<div>Delhi has two faces, author R V Smith says in his introduction to this nostalgic collection of tales; a face which one sees every day and the other that is hidden and has to be discovered by lifting the veil. And this is precisely what he does. He lifts the veil to peek at the historic capital, the city of feats and festivals, of faith and mystery; at the heritage of this somewhat crumbling city inhabited by goats and beggars. Smith, a renowned journalist, traveller and chronicler of legends and anecdotes of Delhi once again writes about the city that he came to from Agra, found it difficult to adjust and live in, but over the years has learned to love it and write about the history that lives in its very stones and streets.<br /><br />He queries a lot and tries to answer the queries himself most of the time with myth and lore than with intense research and historical facts. In the process, we discover more questions that may be answered or may not. If they are not answered, why not go and find out yourself?<br /><br />He starts out with a foray into Delhi’s historical past, both the familiar and the unfamiliar. Sometimes it is a little confusing because of the sheer plethora of monuments, emperors, emperors’ wives, concubines and lovers, all of whom are described with equal emphasis and gusto. He combines a variety of topics, all diverse and interesting: quaint reminders of 1857; the zamzama maker i.e., the maker of a famed gun cast by Shah Nazar Khan, an Armenian Christian, and which is now in front of the Lahore museum; a number of caravanserais now the home of vagabonds, ghosts and their haunting and haunted stories; the place where Ghalib sat and sang, and an interesting edifice called ‘Namak haram ki haveli’, about a certain Bhavani Shankar who shifted his loyalty to the British and therefore the namak haram, which means the one who ate a table and then betrayed his host. He makes a case for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) taking on more work renovating and protecting ancient heritage buildings, although he is well aware of the 95 still awaiting protection. It’s a good case, for the number of tombs, mosques and palaces which have been despoiled, and encroached upon — a case of monumental neglect of Delhi’s rich heritage — is mindboggling. When I read this book, I am made aware of how much we can learn about Delhi’s historical past from Smith.<br /><br />The people Smith talks about include not just emperors and nobles, but also a variety of others such as Humayun’s first wife (I don’t remember reading anything about her anywhere), Colonel Skinner of the famed Skinner’s Horse, and of his great friendship with Col Fraser and some Raj emblems such as the statues of Victoria, especially at the Zenana hospital. Apparently, since she was so fecund herself — with nine children — it was a symbol of good luck for pregnant women! Names such as Umrao Jaan and Noor Enayat Khan pepper the book along with some unknown falcon fanciers. <br /><br />I imagine myself studying in an old building he describes — a haveli, where the classrooms had exquisite old world charm, the Surajkanya Shikshalaya. Another interesting building is the Barafkhana with a fascinating description of the old ice-making process. <br /><br />The chapter on feasts and festivals is also enlightening, including Diwali and the May Queen Ball. He talks about Sufism in the chapter on Faith and Mystery, and of the ghosts which still haunt buildings and burial places.<br /><br />The book ends fittingly — with tombstones. But this chapter is somewhat sketchy, with the tombstones chosen randomly and little organisation of his thought process.<br /><br />However, the editing and proof reading could have been better. The text could have done with some tightening and structure. Sometimes questions are uttered, but they are left hanging with no answers. Maybe the author’s intent was to make it stimulating for others to research. There is an overkill of names and relationships that confuse the reader. Although it’s a lot of trivia, it is interesting trivia. But one wonders about the relevance of some chapters, i.e., the one labelled “Historical sites through tears”. How do celebrities’ reactions matter?<br /><br />What does come through loud and clear is his interest in both ordinary and un-ordinary. His love of Delhi and his burning curiosity to know more is refreshing. I do plan to take this book on my next visit to Delhi and follow some unseen paths Smith has indicated. <br /></div>
