Delhi Has Changed A Lot But Open Your Eyes And It Will Still Enchant You, Claims The Author Of 'City Of Djinns'

I've just completed writing a new introduction to the City of Djinns, a book that I had written 25 years ago. It was then a city of a million people and now with the additions of Okhla, Noida and their ilk, it stands at 6 million or so. It's actually unimaginable.

Delhi is really the second largest urban space in the world. It doesn't show up that way in the satellite images as it is spread across three states, Haryana, Delhi and UP but it does occupy the second largest urban space after Greater Tokyo. ? ??

Over the years, there are several ugly buildings now and despite all the changes, everything I love about the city is still here.?

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There are a lot of negative changes, apart from the ugly buildings, the unplanned spaces, the pollution as it was seen this morning is appalling, the water level is sinking, it's an extremely badly administered city split up into these different blocks. Yet, I think it is one of the greatest cities in the world.

The history, the fact that there's a tomb at nearly all the roundabouts, a madrasa sitting at the stairway of the golf course, amazing old hunting palaces or caravan sarais... all that has survived. And there's also the old kabootarbaaz in Mehrauli or up in the old city, still the hijras at Turkman Gate, the old city is still such a wonderful place.?

And the new stuff - the good roads, cinemas, theatres and publishing industry, it's like a cosmopolitan city in a way that no other city is. You'll find Mallus, Gujjus, northeasterners, Bengalis, Punjabis - you'll find all of India in Delhi.?

This city is just so cosmopolitan in a way that even Bombay is not, and I still love it!

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I came to Delhi for the first time in 1984 and on and off have been here since then. Wow! It has been 32 years.?

India still remains a daunting place to witness for the first time and backpackers putting up at some daunting place in Paharganj pack up as quickly as they can. Some pickup books on Delhi and try to follow it. And maybe that's a good thing. Every year, there are students coming to Delhi University and are completely daunted by the city and they hate it at first. Then they follow the book around and go see Begumpur Masjid, they discover parts of the city that leave them captivated and then they send me letters saying they have found places they never thought existed and I keep saying "thank you". Many of my books have generated this postbag. One of them is still there, you'll have to find them out as it is not immediately on show.?

I have a Bengali friend who arrived last year fallen simply in love with the city. Now she is walking towards Jama Masjid and Dharampura Haveli.

The city still has that power to entrance if you open your eyes and see what's there.

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The charms of the city were never the shops. I wouldn't particularly suggest anyone go to Delhi particularly for shopping. Like the Vasant Vihar, shopping arcade was never a particularly pretty sight, even twenty years ago! It's not the Piccadeli. The old city of Delhi has its own charms that come with the shops - the smell of ittars, the sheermals, the shahi tukda, the jalebiwalas. That's all wonderful.

For those who still find the city too daunting, I'd suggest a simple start at Lodhi Gardens or Safdarjung's Tomb or Humayun's Tomb. Somewhere in the middle with all the greenery around. You can see it all together. I'd recommend start at Safdarjung Tomb then Lodhi Gardens, then Humanyun's Tomb and then end up on Thursday listening to the qawwals at Nizammudin. All within walking distance and that will hook you.

If you have a soul, you will be hooked!

Viniyata