The Historian's Craft: Research, Media, and Publications
We do not just walk; we investigate. This is a look at the archival research, historical debates, and documented history that ground every heritage walk we lead in Delhi.
A video celebrating 14 years of Delhi Heritage Walks, featuring clips from media coverage on NDTV and other channels. It highlights my process of piecing together history like a detective story, using monuments, maps, and local gossip.
A collage celebrating our 14th anniversary, showcasing some of the national and international media that have covered our walks.
A feature on our walks in the Hindustan Times from February 2011, titled "On your mark, get set, walk".
Clippings from The Hindu Business Line and The Asian Age from 2010, highlighting our unique approach to exploring Delhi on foot.
An article I wrote for My Times INA in January 2011, titled "Revisiting the sultan's premises," detailing a walk through Lodi Garden.
More coverage from The Asian Age in 2011, noting the growing interest in heritage walks among Delhiites.
A feature in Mail Today from November 2012, calling our walks "A toast to history."
The cover of "Delhi: Adventures in a Megacity" by Sam Miller. I recommend this contemporary account for its engaging exploration of the city on foot, which resonates with my own philosophy.
The cover of "Beato's Delhi: 1857 & Beyond". This book, which juxtaposes 19th-century photographs with modern ones, is an invaluable resource for our 1857-themed walks.
The cover of "1857: Bihar Mein Mahayuddh". I recommend this Hindi work for its extensive documentation of the revolt's impact in Bihar, highlighting the participation of peasants, dalits, and tribes.
About The Historian's Craft: Research, Media, and Publications
Every walk we lead begins in the archives. We do not rely on generic tourist scripts; instead, we treat each monument like a primary source, piecing together evidence from cartographic maps, colonial-era photography, and academic texts to reconstruct the city's complex narrative. When you join our walks, you are not just a spectator; you are engaging with a historical argument that evolves with new research and critical debate.
How We Reconstruct History
History in Delhi is often presented as a fixed timeline of dates and names. My approach is different. I view the city as a layer of text—sometimes erased, sometimes redrawn—where the monuments are merely the starting points for inquiry.
The Archival Process Our walks are built upon a foundation of:
- Cartographic Analysis: Using historical maps to understand the spatial evolution of settlements like Shahjahanabad or the Mehrauli Archaeological Park.
- Visual Evidence: Juxtaposing 19th-century photography, such as the works of Felice Beato, with contemporary sites to analyze colonial gazes and urban change.
- Oral Histories & Local Lore: Balancing academic accounts with the lived memories and narratives of the people who interact with these spaces today.
Curated Learning For those who wish to dig deeper, I curate reading lists that move beyond surface-level travelogues. Whether it is contemporary accounts of Delhi as a megacity or granular studies on the 1857 Revolt in regional contexts like Bihar, these texts are essential to the critical history we practice.
Collaborative Engagement My work extends into the public sphere through collaborations with institutions like DAG (Delhi Art Gallery). We aim to bridge the gap between art history and local heritage, curating walkthroughs that contextualize exhibitions like 'The Babu & The Bazaar' within the broader framework of colonial-era social change.
If you are interested in the 'why' and 'how' of Delhi's past—rather than just the 'what'—this is where the conversation begins.
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