Reviews on Delhi by Heart
Fiction writer Intizar Hussain (DAWN)
“In his exuberance, Rumi started writing without planning beforehand, knowing not how his narrative will end. The narrative, however, came to an end by itself”
Asif Noorani (Daily Dawn)
“Raza Rumi’s Delhi by Heart is a research-based readable account of the city he fell in love with and its dwellers”
Yatin Gupta (Iyatingupta)
“Delhi By Heart was an eye opener for me in many ways and so much that I will definitely read it once more in future…”
Dr Tariq Rehman (The News on Sunday)
“An authentic and readable social history of north Indian Muslim civilization”
Abdul Majeed Abid (The News on Sunday)
“A must read for prospective travelers to Delhi and fans of South Asian history”
Madeeha Gauhar (Theatre Director/Activist)
“You cannot put Raza’s book into one genre, it’s a bit of everything, so beautifully organized that its a real delight”
Ishtiaq Ahmad (Daily Times)
“Delhi by Heart is a jolly good, multifaceted account penned by Raza Rumi of Lahore of his sojourns in the Indian capital, Delhi, over many years”
Shivani Mohan (The Khaleej Times)
“Breaking barriers: A Pakistani within the heart of Delhi”
Kabir Pundit (Flipkart)
“Raza has succinctly revealed the city’s past not just as a mere chronicle but also as the spiritual hub of Muslim Hindoostan. It came as pleasant surprise that Delhi was/is the Sufi Mecca of the East”
The Deccan Chronicle
“The book, a sensitively written account of Delhi’s “grand theatre of the past and present”, is sure to make many nostalgic about “the composite identity of India” that got lost in 1947″
The Reuters
Delhi by heart is a kind of travelogue about a city that is the source of a shared heritage that spans hundreds of years”
The Indian Express
“Rumi calls this book Delhi by Heart and from the first page, you can make out that a large space in his heart is occupied by Dilli. The Delhis of the past and the present are as enmeshed in the book as they are in reality and that is its strength”
The Kashmir Walla
“Raza Rumi’s Delhi by Heart is an important addition to the literatures on Delhi”
The Express Tribune
“In candid tones, journalist and analyst Raza Rumi explores an Indian city, and indeed his own identity as a Muslim in the Subcontinent, in his first book, Delhi by Heart”
The Caravan Daily
“Raza Rumi’s in-depth research into Delhi’s abundant monuments and the forgotten, sepia-toned sagas attached to them, makes Delhi by Heart a compelling read.
Amazon
“A sensitively written account of a Pakistani writer’s discovery of Delhi”
Livemint
“Pakistani journalist and blogger Raza Rumi‘s first book is an account of his travels in Delhi and his interactions with its people..”
Tehelka
“Raza Rumi’s enthralling travelogue Delhi by Heart, is an attempt to rise above the hatred that has marred Indo-Pak relations”
The News
“A Lahori’s take on Delhi”
The Friday Times
Rumi’s book is not besmirched by preformed ideas or deeply ingrained prejudices, says Dr. Syed Amir
An Indian Muslim
“It took me sometime before I could buy Raza Rumi’s ‘Delhi by Heart’. But the moment I got it, I just couldn’t put it down. I read the entire book within a day”
IBN Live
“The author has ensured that everything you read in this book stays with you for a long time..”
DNA India
“Raza Rumi’s recent book Delhi By Heart is a first a long detailed account of Delhi of the past and the present from a traveler from across the border…”
Time Out Bengalaru
“The book works on many levels – as a travelogue, or as a potted (and selected) history of a city, and a way of life”
Frontline
“While we are familiar with the traditional representations of Delhi, a new book, Delhi by Heart by the Pakistani journalist Raza Rumi, is creating a stir in literary circles”
The Tribune India
“This book by Raza Rumi is much more than the “impressions of a Pakistani traveler”. In searching Delhi, the author is trying to understand his as well as the identity of millions of other Muslims of the subcontinent”
Time Out Delhi
“The book works on many levels – as a travelogue, or as a potted (and selected) history of a city, and a way of life.”
HarperCollins
“Rich with history and anecdote, and conversations with Dilliwalas known and unknown,Delhi By Heart offers an unusual perspective and unexpected insights into the political and cultural capital of India”
Rana’s Blog
“It is rare that one comes across a book with a soul and this is a book which is all heart. It is an outpouring of love by a Pakistani based on his visits here”
Raza Rumi’s Interview with The Indian Express
“I found myself as a split individual, because my identity and nationalistic pride was with Pakistan, but my entire history, heritage and who I am, is linked to this place whether it’s cuisine, history or heritage. Lahore and Delhi are like twins…”
I just finished reading this enjoyable and an illustrious addition to the list of literary tributes to Delhi such as Dalrymple’s City of Djinns and Khushwant Singh’s Delhi. Rumi’s discovery of Delhi confirms at every step that the truth and historic facts always lie somewhere in between the two distinct narratives (in India and Pakistan) of our shared history.
Yet, I feel this book is a bit incomplete because he does not meet anyone from the other side of the discourse (say some one like Arun Shourie) during his visit. Also, he seems to totally bypass Jantar Mantar.He also toes the totally congress narrative on the 2002 Gujarat Riots. So, unfortunately he ends up giving a rather one dimensional portrait of the “other side” of Delhi. Ironic, because he rightly complains about the one dimensional images of stereotypes we have in the subcontinent of each other.
Nevertheless, when I put down this book, I am an admirer of Rumi. Because I do not doubt at all the good intentions and humanism of Rumi.
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