In a city full of riveting stories, Delhi-based anthropologist unravels the rich history and culture of the Capital through his heritage walks.
In William Dalrymple’s The City of Djinns, the historical novelist mentions: “Delhi it seemed, at first, was full of riches and horrors.” This city is a bottomless pot of stories—dating beyond history, meandering through the caverns of myth and legend. The unparalleled heritage that goes back to the epics is a treasure trove that many have tried to document over the years. With this in mind, 27-year old Anas Khan—a master’s graduate in anthropology from Delhi University who belongs to a family that has been living in Ballimaran, Old Delhi for more than 250 years—decided to become a chronicler of Delhi’s rich heritage.
A self-proclaimed flâneur, Khan journeys down the ruins and alleys of Delhi to document it through his initiative Unzip Delhi. “You can’t focus on the history of a place without looking at its oral tradition. The everlasting yet ever-changing nature of culture is extremely important for me,” he says. Leading heritage walks in the Capital, Khan aims to portray the city from an insider’s perspective. A heritage walk around Feroz Shah Kotla titled ‘City of Jinns’ will be conducted today from 3:30pm by Unzip Delhi.
Divided into three sections, this walk will explain the seven cities of Delhi, the history of the fifth city Firozabad, and the supernatural aspect of the fort. The history of Feroz Shah Kotla—an amalgamation of stories of progress and fables of spirits—is what Khan will attempt to unravel through his walk.
Architectural beauty & supernatural tales
Built on the banks of river Yamuna during the 14th Century, the Feroz Shah Kotla is the fifth city of Delhi. Constructed by the Delhi Sultan, Feroz Shah Tughlaq, the fort complex hosts the ruins of palaces, an Ashokan pillar, and a history of bloody treacheries in its dark dungeon cells.
Djinns, which are supernatural beings, have been an important part of Delhi’s culture. There are stories of people visiting this fort to encounter Djinns. “The mosque inside the fort, Jami Masjid, has a number of dungeons under it. They are called the rooms of the Djinns. About two or three years ago, people would visit these dungeons and write letters about their troubles to the Djinns. Unfortunately, the Archeological Survey of India has now stopped people from doing this. An almost 50- to 60-year-old tradition has ended,” explains Khan.
Although the preservation of the monument as a heritage architecture was important, and people can still visit the fort, Khan laments that with guards and strict protocols, the mystical charm has been slightly lost: “While there is a gain, there has also been a huge loss.”
A hit among history buffs
The sense of loss of culture, however, has not deterred history buffs from attending walks and looking at these old monuments from a different perspective. 26-year-old Priyanka Tiwari from Gurugram says she likes to explore the city during the weekends. “Khan puts a twist to the history, which we already know. He tells it in the form of stories and that makes it easy to relate.” What were her expectations from the Djinn walk? Tiwari concludes, “Supernatural tales and mystical creatures have always interested me. Though I love reading ghost stories, I don’t think I would like to see one in real.”