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Delhi Metropolitan
"My understanding of this ferocious, restless, relentless metropolis is that each of us who lives in this city carries a unique, if virtual, Delhi inside our heads.'"
Independence, four million refugees from Pakistan and the overwhelming presence of visible and invisible power that flows from New Delhi being the capital have transformed it from the unruffled imperial town it once was to the fearsome metropolis it is today. And yet, says Ranjana Sengupta, this largely unloved city deserves to be loved.
Delhi is home to the most diverse population of any city in the country. The unceasing influx of migrants has unleashed new urban architectures of opulence and deprivation. Different groups have set up their own, different universes, and these manage to coexist, not unhappily. And somewhere between the futurist Gurgaon skyline and the proliferating slums, alongside the march of the Metro and the refurbishment of Khan Market, lie Delhi's unsung sagas—the memories, the passions and the unspoken expectation that the city will change lives.
Sengupta illustrates how Delhi is essentially the creation of refugees of all kinds, from those fleeing plundered homes within and across the border to the adventurers who have flocked to the city for the greater opportunities of employment or simply to be close to the hub of political power.
The newer Delhi, she says, in its turn gained from the accumulated and diverse talent and capital it acquired from these people, although haphazard development poses a great danger to it. Delhi Metropolitan tracks the changes from the time 'going to CP' was almost the only leisure activity for the middle class, looks at the subtle reinventions of government colonies and the shining new suburbs, and inspects the footprints of 'Punjabification'.
Have all these actually managed to colonize this extravagant, indefinable and unlikely city? In a work of immense detail, at once informed and entertaining, Ranjana Sengupta proffers an answer.
Independence, four million refugees from Pakistan and the overwhelming presence of visible and invisible power that flows from New Delhi being the capital have transformed it from the unruffled imperial town it once was to the fearsome metropolis it is today. And yet, says Ranjana Sengupta, this largely unloved city deserves to be loved.
Delhi is home to the most diverse population of any city in the country. The unceasing influx of migrants has unleashed new urban architectures of opulence and deprivation. Different groups have set up their own, different universes, and these manage to coexist, not unhappily. And somewhere between the futurist Gurgaon skyline and the proliferating slums, alongside the march of the Metro and the refurbishment of Khan Market, lie Delhi's unsung sagas—the memories, the passions and the unspoken expectation that the city will change lives.
Sengupta illustrates how Delhi is essentially the creation of refugees of all kinds, from those fleeing plundered homes within and across the border to the adventurers who have flocked to the city for the greater opportunities of employment or simply to be close to the hub of political power.
The newer Delhi, she says, in its turn gained from the accumulated and diverse talent and capital it acquired from these people, although haphazard development poses a great danger to it. Delhi Metropolitan tracks the changes from the time 'going to CP' was almost the only leisure activity for the middle class, looks at the subtle reinventions of government colonies and the shining new suburbs, and inspects the footprints of 'Punjabification'.
Have all these actually managed to colonize this extravagant, indefinable and unlikely city? In a work of immense detail, at once informed and entertaining, Ranjana Sengupta proffers an answer.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
260 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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About the author
Ranjana Sengupta
5 booksRanjana Sengupta has studied in London, Kolkata and New Delhi. A journalist for over two decades, she has worked in several major Indian newspapers and magazines including the Hindustan Times, the Indian Express and Sunday. She has contributed to City Improbable (Penguin Books) and Delhi, Agra & Jaipur (Eyewitness Guides). Her publications include Ajanta and Ellora (The Guidebook Company). She writes extensively on literature, travel and trends in urban life. She has lived for many years in Kuwait, Bhutan, London and Pakistan, but always comes back to Delhi.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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May 27, 2016An entirely uneducated take on a brilliant city. The author lacks any technical knowledge of architecture as is evident from her casual and foolish comparisons of the city's architectural brilliance to dairy products. This book is proof that even an idiot can get a book published in India. Altogether a pathetic, disappointing and brain dead read.
March 10, 2024
I knew a bit of history about the post partition making of present day Delhi but this book gave me a lot of context for my curious mind.
Bonus point was the amazing research done on Delhi’s refugee, government and private colonies. Makes so much sense of how the city expanded over decades and why the charm still holds for NCR to be associated with Delhi :)
Bonus point was the amazing research done on Delhi’s refugee, government and private colonies. Makes so much sense of how the city expanded over decades and why the charm still holds for NCR to be associated with Delhi :)
February 17, 2019
A good book for the beginners in Delhi's history and its architecture. Writing is undoubtedly not the best but it ain't weak either. Author has focused less on historical 'facts' and more on recollections and oral history. That has brought uniqueness to the descriptions and filled charm in the narrative. I found chapters on urban villages (erstwhile rural areas) of South like Chiragh Delhi particularly enthralling.
February 5, 2016
Another worthy addition to the literature charting Delhi's evolution and transformation over the centuries. In "Delhi Metropolitan", Sengupta concentrates primarily on the urban geography of the metropolis and using data, facts and trivia explains how the city has been influenced by the British town planners, the post Independence makeover, the refugee influx and the 'suburbization' of the previous decades. While each of these sections have been analyzed by a multitude of writers before, Sengupta still manages to retain the freshness in her writing. The post independence architects, the class reflection on the use of public spaces and the explanation for the ethos behind places like RK Puram, Sarojini Nagar and Kalkaji were quite thought provoking. Do pick it up if you're fascinated with Delhi and it's continual transformation.
February 16, 2015
Quite an admirable summing up of the city's transition from a sleepy backwater to an imperial capital and then of a large democracy, giving details of its architecture in this journey and enlivened with some anecdotes of the social transformation....
December 1, 2011
Very good introduction. Gives an overview on Delhi's development since 1911, its architectural development etc. Lacks a scientific approach and sources (especially on numbers). Good read though!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews