
- 224 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Delhi:Unknown Tales of a City
About this book
Ronald Vivian Smith is an author of personal experiences â 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 â 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 â 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.' âRakshanda Jalil, LiveMint
'⌠When it comes to writing on monuments of Delhi â known, little known or unknown â no one does a better job than R.V. Smith.' âKhushwant Singh, Hindustan Times
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Book Name
- Title
- About the Book
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Foreword
- Preface
- 1. A Memorable Halloween
- 2. Afghan Amirâs 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 âPaharwalahâ
- 10. Commemoration of the Durbar
- 11. Evening of Weird Experiences
- 12. Pre-winter Cameos
- 13. Harinagar Ghantaghar
- 14. Jahangirâs Xâmas Gift
- 15. Waiting for Lakshmi
- 16. Pleasure & Risk of Eating Out
- 17. Preserve these Monuments
- 18. Reminiscences of An Old Mali
- 19. The Beggarsâ Wedding
- 20. Damari Tales
- 21. Delhiâs 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 âMina Bazaarâ
- 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-Fanciersâ Day
- 39. Heroines & Bravehearts of 1857
- 40. Holi in the Past
- 41. Kingâs Abode in Danger
- 42. Lady Willingdonâs Hindsight
- 43. Redeeming Sher Shahâs Legacy
- 44. Rehabilitating the Dead
- 45. Mirza Ghalibâs Legacy
- 46. Moonlight Chowkâs 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 Mughalsâ 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 âThe Pastâ
- About the Author
- Backcover