The Delhiwalla - Blog on Delhi

    Hindustan times started a new section online called the "Blogs". Here the Hindustan Times reporters write their views about a certain topic on a regular basis. I was a regular reader of Vir Sanghvi and Khushwant Singh's articles in the past. Vir Sanghvi's "Counter Point" has been replaced by his blog called the " Medium Term". One blog in particular really caught my eye, "The Delhiwalla" by Mayank Austen Soofi. He writes about the soul of Delhi.

    We always take, the place where we live, for granted. I never really appreciated or rather gave it a thought to the place where I was born and grew up, Delhi, for its beauty and historical significance. Now, when I read about Delhi, it brings lots of nostalgic feelings and also I learn about so many aspects about Delhi which I never knew about.  

    The other day I was reading the "Delhiwalla" and learnt about a canteen tucked inside the teen murti bhavan. Immediately it brought back the days when I used to take the bus which used to go past teen murti. It was as if I was transported back to Delhi.  Obsession to know more about Delhi came up (keeps coming back now and then) last time when I visited India in 2008. I bought a book "The Last Mughal" which gives the description of Delhi, specifically old Delhi, during the 1700-1800 A.D. Ever since, I was looking for a nice book about Delhi, not a guide book but more on the lines of Mayank's blog. I found one (I hope it is a nice read) and have saved under my Google books selection, I intend to read it some day.

    One more posting, that I remember, of his was about the old Delhi and the surrounding area of Ballimaran. I felt so proud to have been born in the Ghalib's playground. I had gone to Nai Sarak (neighborhood of Ballimaran where Ghalib lived and breathed his last) without realizing that one of the world's greatest poet lived there. Nai Sarak is new only by name otherwise it is pretty old and congested. So many different types of business like books stores, garment shops, eateries, handicrafts etc, all coexist. Hindu-Muslims have lived and worked side by side with out any problems for so many years. It is a great example of communal harmony for the whole country.

    I remember during one of my outings in 2004, when I went to Nai Sarak to buy a Urdu to Hindi dictionary, so that I could better understand Ghazals (form of poetry) and ended up buying 6-7 books on poetry including "Madhushala" by Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Shopkeepers may not be learned in the typical sense but they know so much about their books that they can put Borders and Barnes & Noble to shame. Nai Sarak is a congested little booketeria.

    There are many such things about Delhi. Book Fair at Pragati Maidan, used book market at Daryaganj . "Delhiwalla" also had a posting about the Daryaganj book market which the municipality is thinking of dismantling because of "public nuisance". Dilli (native name of Delhi) is the heart (Dil in Hindi) of India, literally. It is the capital in every sense of the word. I hope the essence of Delhi lives for years to come.