Delhi:Unknown Tales of a City

R.V. Smith

• Publisher: Roli Books
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN:
  9789351940968
• eBook ISBN:
  9789351940968
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Historical Theory & Criticism
• Index: History

Ronald Vivian Smith is an author of personal experiences – a rare breed to find in a time when even journalists hesitate to put pen to paper without scanning through the internet. A definitive voice when it comes to some known and unknown tales and an inspiration to a new generation of city-scribes, Smith is a master-chronicler of Delhi's myriad realities. Among the capital's most ardent lovers, Smith believes in the power of observation and interaction. His travels across Delhi, most often in a DTC bus, examine the big and small curiosities – seamlessly juxtaposing the past with the present. Be it the pride he encounters in the hutments of one of Chandni Chowk's age-old beggar families, or his ambling walks around Delhi's now-dilapidated cemeteries, Smith paints with his words a city full of magic and history. This anthology features short essays on the Indian sultanate, its fall after the British Raj, and its resurrection to become what it is today – the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
'No amount of bookish knowledge can compete with the sort of insights and real, lived memories he [Smith] has.' —Rakshanda Jalil, LiveMint
'… When it comes to writing on monuments of Delhi – known, little known or unknown – no one does a better job than R.V. Smith.' —Khushwant Singh, Hindustan Times

Table of contents

• Cover
• Book Name
• Title
• About the Book
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• 1. A Memorable Halloween
• 2. Afghan Amir’s Gateway
• 3. Armenian Seer
• 4. Basai Darapur and its Namesake
• 5. Bird-watching Delights
• 6. Celebrating the Monsoon
• 7. Chehlum with Mahabat Khan
• 8. Christmastime Reminiscences
• 9. Coming of the ‘Paharwalah’
• 10. Commemoration of the Durbar
• 11. Evening of Weird Experiences
• 12. Pre-winter Cameos
• 13. Harinagar Ghantaghar
• 14. Jahangir’s X’mas Gift
• 15. Waiting for Lakshmi
• 16. Pleasure & Risk of Eating Out
• 17. Preserve these Monuments
• 18. Reminiscences of An Old Mali
• 19. The Beggars’ Wedding
• 20. Damari Tales
• 21. Delhi’s Poetic Heritage
• 22. Denizens of Viran Wali
• 23. Diwali by Candlelight
• 24. Easter Garden Parties
• 25. Epical Comparisons
• 26. Evenings at Mausiqi Manzil
• 27. Facelift for the ‘Mina Bazaar’
• 28. Four Stalwarts Delhi has Lost
• 29. Graveyards of Delhi
• 30. Guns and Roses
• 31. Halim at a Dawakhana
• 32. Heritage of the Gumbads
• 33. History Enshrined in Mosques
• 34. Reminiscences of Nehru
• 35. New Delhi & Old Delhi
• 36. Reverie
• 37. Phaeton & Austin Yarns
• 38. Pigeon-Fanciers’ Day
• 39. Heroines & Bravehearts of 1857
• 40. Holi in the Past
• 41. King’s Abode in Danger
• 42. Lady Willingdon’s Hindsight
• 43. Redeeming Sher Shah’s Legacy
• 44. Rehabilitating the Dead
• 45. Mirza Ghalib’s Legacy
• 46. Moonlight Chowk’s Many Names
• 47. Mystique of Dak Bungalows
• 48. Names Tell a Tale
• 49. Old Hunting Tower
• 50. Ramzan Aura & Piety
• 51. Recollection on the Mutiny
• 52. Remembering Two Patriarchs
• 53. Reverie on Zafar
• 54. Saga of Wells
• 55. Shearing Innocence of the Lambs
• 56. Splendour in the Grass
• 57. Spring Festival
• 58. Tales of Allah Diya
• 59. Tales Ridge Monuments Tell
• 60. Talking Drums
• 61. Temples of Antiquity
• 62. The Fall of the House of Joanides
• 63. The Galis of Delhi
• 64. The Ghostly Trail
• 65. The Battle of 1803
• 66. The Mughals’ Rain-Holiday
• 67. The Sirens of Delhi
• 68. Vampires & Phantoms
• 69. Vanished Birdcatcher
• 70. View From the Rugged Heights
• 71. River Swimming Craze
• 72. When Trams Plied
• 73. Windmills to Revive ‘The Past’
• About the Author
• Backcover