Perpetual City: A Short Biography of Delhi

by Malvika Singh

Capital to successive empires and the independent Indian republic, Delhi is finally coming into its own as the nations first city in the twenty-first century. In so doing, it has left behind once and future contenders for the title Bombay, Madras, Calcutta. How did this small settlement, founded in the lee of an ancient range of hills in eighth century by a Tomar Rajput chief called Suraj Pal, become one of the worlds great cities, home to nearly twenty million people, witness to the rise and fall of empires and dynasties and eccentrics as magnificent and notable as the Tomar-Chauhans, the Mamluks, the Khiljis, the Tughlaks, the Sayyids, the Lodis, the Mughals, the Nehrus, the Gandhis and dozens of others too numerous to count. Drawing upon her unparalleled knowledge of the city she has spent most of her life in, Malvika Singh gives us a book that reveals the pith and essence of Delhi through the memorable people who lived (and live) in it, its great buildings, its extraordinary food, its unforgettable music and the centuries of blood and history that have seeped into every square inch of its soil.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, India

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Anil Swarup · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book traces the evolution of Delhi from early years since the 12th century. There are indeed some interesting historical details. However, the focus shifts more to politics during the post independence period though some parts of the book also deal with the cultural and social aspect. The book could have perhaps dealt at greater length the impact of migrants from Pakistan because that seems to be the turning point. The author does find the dawn of new century, "There is a buzz like never before" but she is silent about the discordant notes of this buzz.

[Saurabh Pandey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a short book about the history of Delhi if you want to know about the perspective of a person who has been part of the first world of our country. The author has basically reflected her experience of this city.
You don't miss anything even if you don't read this book, nothing special about this book or I can say this can be read as light reading.

[Kasturi Dadhe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it because of the easy, free flowing narrative of Mala Singh. She brings the old and the new of Delhi alive with pounds of nostalgia. For those who have been to Delhi, connect or disconnect with the city almost instantly. I discovered Delhi very late in my life and the city has given me memories and friends for a lifetime. I love Delhi as much as I disconnect with it. A read for those who know Delhi and India as their own.

[Dhruv Bhandula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a nice short book about the city I love the most in the world, Delhi. However, for most of the part it felt as if the story is only about a small part of the city where the writer lived rather than the story of Delhi in itself. Some of the arguments and nostalgic things about the Lutyen's Delhi and the regions nearby can be extended to the whole city as well but for a major part of the book, I didn't feel too much engrossed in the book as I should be considering it is the city where I spent my childhood and still visit from time to time. Something was missing in this book. I wasn't able to find the soul of Delhi in the book. It felt like it is another Delhi (one of the privileged).
But considering that it is the part of the city where the author has spent all her life, she has done a commendable part in describing that part of Delhi. Also as it is a short book of around 130 pages, it is next to impossible to do justice to a city full with wonders and stories from the past. I would suggest it to everyone who want to learn in brief about the story of my city, Delhi. But people who have lived in the city for a considerable amount of time may be a little bit disappointed with this book.

[Ridhima Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book with incredible flow, perfectly concise, which reflects the love the author has for her home town. Yet, something sits uneasy while reading Perpetual City, possibly the knowledge that the entire account comes from the perspective of the most privileged, influential members of Delhi's social and economic strata.

While I would recommend the book to anyone who wants to know what it feels like to carry Delhi in their hearts, and learn of those small obscure stories which make the city it's magical self, the title is a misnomer. It's not a biography of Delhi, it's the evolution of one individual's experiences of the city - beautifully penned.

[Laxmi]

The author of this book moved from Mumbai to Delhi during her childhood and has been residing there since. While the book is advertised as a short biography of Delhi, the author has made it a biography of her family instead, including her parents' social life, their connections and acquaintances.
In order to do justice to the title, the author has included around 10% information about the city, a bite of history and has then gone on to speak about all the political, artistic and social connections her family has had or continues to have.
Not a satisfactory read with respect to the title, but an unintended biographical read instead.

[Oka Kartika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I make it a point to buy books whenever I visit another country. That said, India, especially New Delhi, doesn’t feel entirely unfamiliar to me. I lived there for 3 years starting in 2003, bought this book during a return visit in 2016, and finally read it in 2025 (yes, I buy books faster than I read them, tell me you do too!). I still remember my time living there, but Malvika takes the reader much further back, describing what places once looked like and explaining how they became what they are today. Blending history, politics, art, and culture, this book was a pleasure to read. If given the chance, I would love to visit India again in the future.

[Raj · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't really a "biography of Delhi" as much as it was a brief recollection of the author's time in one enclave of New Delhi. The historical aspects alluded to in the title and the cover art take up less than 20 pages - and even this was very incomplete and unsatisfying.

[Anjali · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started out with Delhi as the main character, soon devolved into a tale of families with socio-cultural and intellectual capital (and likely tremendous wealth).

[Devashree Vyas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Date read: 16.09.2017
Date of review: 23.03.2018

Rating: 3/5

Content:

Perpetual City: A Short Biography of Delhi is a succinct description of the numerous nuances that give Delhi its essence, as in case of any city. The author describes the city's growth, as seen through her eyes since she was a child and moved here from Mumbai, a city which is contrasts immensely with Delhi. The web she weaves relays a picture of the city which has been home to her and her family. While the experiences described being a strange sense of nostalgia for a past you haven't lived, her rueful disappointment with the changes the city has gone through, due to its exploitation, partly by necessity and majorly by greed is also eye-opening. However, being a short biography recounted by a singular individual, gives it limited, yet informed perspective and while enchanting and thought-provoking, I was consciously aware that this was not the whole picture.

Writing Style:

Malvika Singh writes beautifully, with her sentences seemingly carefully crafted, which is unsurprising for she has a strong and established background and experience in writing. The descriptions of the experiences she underwent somehow do remind you of tales from your own histories, making this a charming read.

Will I recommend it?

Yes, especially to people who know Delhi, or know about Delhi, or enjoy reading about delightful experiences and thoughts, oriented around families, societies and cities. It is also a short read, which is an advantage while looking for a quick, simple read.

Favourite Quote:

"At its most resplendent, parts of the city merge into a single, diverse and historic cityscape that encompasses time memorial, through a subtle, delicate, nuanced tapestry of cultures."

Happy Reading!

-Love, Devashree

[Sairam Krishnan · Rating 2 out of 5]

From Aleph's city series, Malvika Singh's memoir of Delhi is written with love and nostalgia, but falls flat because it tells a rather one-sided story. The city she describes is a privileged, gated paradise, and though this isn't her fault, I would have really wanted to know how 'normal' people lived in New Delhi during the years Singh celebrates as Delhi's great decades.

Her memories of early 50s and 60s Delhi make for good reading, and so do her parents' activism filled early years, but she just doesn't step outside the boundaries that she inhabited then. All this is perfect if this were just a memoir, but in the publishers calling this a short biography of the city, I was expecting a few more perspectives.

[Jayati · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderfully written biography, more so of the author than the city itself. While the Delhi described and remembered so beautifully in this book really comes alive, it is a very small part of Delhi that is represented. There are multiple cities that exist within Delhi and unfortunately the story barely even eluded to that. Rather only allowing a glimpse into the life of Delhi's elite.
Given that the author is the publisher of a major national socio- economic journal her understanding of Delhi's middle classes is disappointing and simplistic.
While the book is extremely well written, it does not manage to balance nostalgia, history and development as well as other books in this series of city biographies by Aleph.

[Sukanto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another lovely addition to the short biography of city series by Aleph! Each book in this series has been by someone who literally grew up with the concerned city. The same can be said for Malvika Singh - who has witnessed the highs and lows of Delhi (or Dilli) from very close quarters. With a liberal dose of family history, she literally serves up a superb dish of nostalgia and continuity for the capital city of India. Goes without saying that I could identify with it, or any book linked to Delhi for that matter, because I've spent four years of my life there. When it was dilwalon ki Dilli indeed.

[Saritha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a heartfelt love letter and a lament rolled into one about the city of Delhi. Singh steers clear of trying to capture the city's history and makes this a personal memoir of sorts to provide a glimpse into a city that is more than just a place unsafe for women. Coming from a family that is responsible for and well-connected to the building of the city, Singh is perhaps the best person to evocatively capture the post-Independence era as a period of growth. Singh doesn't mask her disdain for those who unthinkingly erode the foundations of the city's culture and is perhaps rightfully nostalgic about the city in an era of graciousness.

[Alfa Hisham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Malavika gives you an account of Nehru's India. A young fledging country with Delhi as the capital, trying to fly on its own post independence.

She portrays the forever changing capital from its regal past to the latest avatar, busiest metropolitan city, crumbling under its own mishaps.

Filled with anecdotes, Perpetual City is a narrative of a privileged in the creamy sector of intellectual Delhi hence lacking the perspective of what was happening with the ordinary masses during the inital phase

[Sankalpita (bookGeeks India) · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most prestigious publication houses of India, the Aleph Book Company have started a series of short biographies which cover the major cities of India. Madras, Bombay, Calcutta, Patna and Delhi are the cities which have so far been honoured by this series...


Read the full review - http://www.bookgeeks.in/entries/non-f...

[Amar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very limited in scope and narration. Felt like a family memoir rather than a book about a city. Aleph should have given the job to someone less biased, less cocooned, and more acquainted with the city.

[Nabanita Dutta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not another "City of Djinns" but a nice n heartfelt memoir of "Dilli"

[Kulpreet Yadav · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this candid account of a person who has seen Delhi from such close quarters that it made me jealous. Compelling, this short book covers a lot of ground. Strongly recommended.

[Shagun Popli]

A simple narration. Mostly about self and not Delhi perse. learnt a few interesting facts about its history, but found it slightly boring towards the end. Quick read though.