City of Djinns : A Year in Delhi

Peeling back the layers of Delhi’s centuries-old history, City of Djinns is an irresistible blend of research and adventure.Sparkling with irrepressible wit, City of Djinns peels back the layers of Delhi's centuries-old history, revealing an extraordinary array of characters along the way-from eunuchs to descendants of great Moguls. With refreshingly open-minded curiosity, William Dalrymple explores the seven "dead" cities of Delhi as well as the eighth city—today's Delhi. Underlying his quest is the legend of the djinns, fire-formed spirits that are said to assure the city's Phoenix-like regeneration no matter how many times it is destroyed. Entertaining, fascinating, and informative, City of Djinns is an irresistible blend of research and adventure.

First published in 1993 (by Harper Collins), this account of a year spent in Delhi is both personal and historical as Dalrymple (an author of other works on India) describes the people he associates with, great festivals (and their history), monuments and sites (and their history), the seasons, and the small details of everyday life. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Library Journal

Delhi has a richly layered past, and Dalrymple (In Xanadu, McKay, 1990) deftly peels away each layer to reveal how the city came to be what it is today. Djinns are spirits said to be seen only after prolonged fasting and prayer; they too are integral to understanding the city. The author, a young Scot carrying on the fine British tradition of travel writing, has a knack for meeting fascinating people and capturing their most revealing remarks. He introduces us to dervishes, eunuchs, partridge fighting, weddings, and expatriates. His wife contributes sketches that nicely complement his text. Considering the importance of Delhi, the capital of the world's second most populous nation, this book deserves to be in most public and academic libraries.-Harold M. Otness, Southern Oregon State Coll. Lib., Ashland

"When he was seventeen, William Dalrymple visited Delhi and was transfixed by this ancient city's multiple layers of history, myth, and legend. Five years after his first trip he returned, this time newly married, to record his fascination on paper."--Page 4 of cover Mrs. Puri had achieved all this through a combination of hard work and good old-fashioned thrift.