Delhi - A Novel

'I 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 for ever. "I 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 hijra 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 for ever. Vast, Erotic, Irreverant Magnum Opus On The City Of Delhi. The Principal Narrator Of The Saga, Which Extends Over Six Hundred Years, Is A Bawdy, Ageing [sic] Reprobate Who Loves Delhi As Much As He Does The Hijda Whore Bhagmati--half Man, Half Woman With The 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 Participated In (and Been Witness To) The Major Historical Forces That Have Shaped And Endowed Delhi With Its Very Special Mystique.--page 4 Of Cover. Khushwant Singh. I return to Delhi as I return to my mistress Bhagmati when I have had my fill of whoring in foreign lands. Delhi and Bhagmati have a lot in common. Having been long misused by rough people they have learnt to conceal their seductive charms under a mask of repulsive ugliness. It is only to their lovers, among whom I count myself, that they reveal their true selves. To the stranger Delhi may appear like a gangrenous accretion of noisy bazaars and mean-looking hovels growing round a few tumble-down forts and mosques along a dead river. Sprawling over several centuries of Delhi's evolution, the novel is often bawdy and irreverent, but nonetheless is also a meticulous study of the history of the city. The author is also an historian who has written, "A History of the Sikhs" and "Delhi: A Portrait".