Mehrauli, today a small township on the outskirts of New Delhi, has a record of nearly ten centuries of continuous occupation. The ruins of Lal Kot from eleventh century Rajput times and the Qutb Minar world Heritage site, the medieval-period baolis, garden tombs, shrines and mosques scattered about the vicinity, the monsoon place of the last of the Mughals, Bahadur Shah Zafar, reflect almost a thousand year of the history of Delhi itself, Mehrauli is rich in cultural and religious traditions, too, with its numerous shrines and festivals such as the famed Phoolwalon ki Sair and pankha processions to the Dargah of Qutbuddin Bakhtyar Kaki and the Jog Maya Temple. Its crowded markets, old havelis, colonial-style buildings and latter-day fashionable boutique complexes also give Mehrauli a fascinating traditional and contemporary air. This is reflected in its varied population, some families having been residents since long before Partition. With numerous full-colour photographs and other illustrations, accompanied by a text using original source material, interviews with residents, archival records, etc, the book seeks to capture something of the flavour of Mehrauli’s historic past and contemporary social character.
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