DelhiI return to Delhi as I return to my mistress Bhagmati when I have had my fill of whoring in foreign lands...' Thus begins Khushwant Singh's vast, erotic, irrelevant magnum opus on the city of Delhi. The principal narrator of the saga, which extends over six hundred years, is a bawdy, ageing reprobate who loves Delhi as much as he does the hijda whore Bhagmati-half man, half woman with sexual inventiveness and energy of both the sexes. Travelling through time, space and history to 'discover' his beloved city, the narrator meets a myriad of people-poets and princes, saints and sultans, temptresses and traitors, emperors and eunuchs-who have shaped and endowed Delhi with its very special mystique. And as we accompany the narrator on his epic journey we find the city of emperors transformed and immortalized in our minds forever. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
afternoon Agra Allah arms asked Aurangzeb badshah Bahadur Bakht Bakht Khan Bazaar beard began Begum Sahiba Bhagmati blood boys brother Budh Singh Chandni Chowk crowd Dara Shikoh dead Delhi dervish Dilli door Emperor eyes face father feet firangi fire followed Gandhi Gate gave Georgine Ghiaspur girl give goras gurdwara Guru hair hands head heard hijda Hindu Hindustan Hodson Sahib holy India Jamna Khan Khusrau Khwaja Sahib killed king knew Kotwal Lal Kuan live look Majesty mangoes Masjid Meer Mehrauli Mirza Abdullah Mirza Mughal morning mosque mother Mughal Muslims Mussalmans Nawab night Nizamuddin palace prayer Punjab Qutub Minar Rajab Ram Dulari Red Fort replied road round rupees says sent shouting Siddi Siddi Maula Sikh sultan sword talk tell Tilpat told tomb took turned voice wall wife woman women words yelling Zeenat Mahal