February 23, 2002

Delhi always appears to me as a cross-cultural quilt, made up of many, many individually patterned pieces joined together by perhaps nothing more than a leap of imagination. Naturally, the city has caught the imagination of writers and travellers through centuries many of whom have chronicled their own impressions and experiences.

It is appropriate that City improbable has been compiled and edited by one of present-day Delhi’s most well-known citizens, Khushwant Singh. The diversity of the contributors is a testimony to the range of emotions that the city evokes. From awe to anger, it’s all here. As are history and humour. This collection spans centuries, from Ved Vyas’ Mahabharat to excerpts from William Dalrymple’s Delhi: city of djinns. Each perspective on Delhi is highly individualistic and immensely readable.

The writings on Delhi are not arranged in strict chronological order, so readers can pick a piece and go back and forth to relish the diversity of styles and subjects. They are likely to find Emily Eden’s impressions of Delhi refreshing, accompanied as they are with a bit of typically British soul-searching: “... Delhi is a very suggestive and moralizing place — such stupendous remains of power and wealth passed and passing away - and somehow I feel we horrid English have just ‘gone and done it’, merchandized it, revenued it, and spoiled it all.”

The outsider’s view is in sharp contrast to a Delhi-wallah’s. Here’s Khushwant Singh striking a nostalgic note in his introduction to the anthology: “At one time Dilliwalas were known for their courteous speech and interest in poetry, good food and clothes. They were proud of their poets: Meer Taqi Meer, Ghalib, Zauq and Zafar. Sons of the rich patronized courtesans living in Chawri Bazar to listen to mujras and banter Urdu poetry with them. The paan they chewed was wrapped in gold and silver paper.”

He concludes (somewhat simplistically): “All that went with the Muslim elite, who migrated to Pakistan in 1947. Their place was taken by a flood of Hindu and Sikh refugees from West Punjab. Understandably, these new entrants were eager to rehabilitate themselves, make a fast buck and show everyone how well they had done for themselves. Hearty eating, good living in a large bungalow with a fleet of cars, an ostentatious display of wealth became the culture of Delhi’s rich.”

Khushwant Singh has also included in this anthology an extended excerpt from his own historical/satirical novel Delhi: a novel. Though some of the selections are from previously published and widely read books, City improbable lives up to its name with amazing accounts of Dilliwalas and their city. For Delhi is not just a city with memories of empire and emperors but the modern capital that embodies the hopes and frustrations of Indians from across the country.

As the seat of government, it is also home to the ‘babus’ of the Indian bureaucracy who have created a culture of their own. Their stratagem of evading commitments is accurately captured in Jan Morris’ “Mrs Gupta never rang”.

Several of the contributors have chosen, not to romanticize about Delhi, but to present aspects that go beyond history and monuments. Anita Roy, for example, chooses to write about ‘hijras’ or eunuchs. “In the company of hijras” is a frank and moving account of an evening spent at a party of ‘hijras’. Roy writes with secret admiration for a group she sees as free of many of the burdens Indian women face. Radhika Chandiramani explores the world of young lovers meeting furtively in the parks of Delhi.

Many of the contemporary pieces were specially commissioned for this collection. Among them is Sadia Dehlavi’s mouth-watering description, “Dilli ka dastarkhwan”. She writes about the cuisine in her ancestral home: “Dilliwalas were extremely particular about taseer, the effects and properties of each food. Spices like cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and peppercorns were garam taseer and believed to have warming effects. Dishes where these are used extensively were cooked in winter. Unmarried girls were prohibited from having egg yolk or large quantities of heavily spiced dishes lest the garam taseer put their hormones into overdrive.” The unhibited mix of Urdu and English makes her description even more expressive.

Visitors to Delhi have their own favourite monuments, littered as the city is with edifices of its past. The finest architectural wonder, in my opinion, is Humayun’s tomb, with its simple elegance, incredible craftsmanship and symmetry. The tomb was also the inspiration for the Taj Mahal. Readers of City improbable will no doubt enjoy comparing their own impressions with those of the contributors to this anthology. However, as Khushwant Singh’s selection demonstrates, Delhi inspires both admiration and anger (tinged with affection). The city has evoked the strongest emotions among poets, ranging from Meer Taqi Meer to Octavio Paz.

This excellent anthology representing the work of people from different centuries and nationalities needed footnotes to explain certain terms as well as present-day status of the places mentioned. Unfortunately, the editor has only included brief notes on the contributors. The present residents of Delhi may believe their city has lost all its old glory; however, they should read Meer writing in the mid-eighteenth century:

“There once was a fair city,
Among cities of the world the first in fame;
It hath been ruined and laid desolate,
To that city I belong, Delhi is its name.”

City improbable: an anthology of writings on Delhi
Edited by Khushwant Singh
Penguin Books, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi-110 017, India. 
Website: www.penguinbooksindia.com
ISBN 0-67-091235-2
286pp. Indian Rs395

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