1. City of Djinns, by William Dalrymple

A timeless travelogue published in 1993, this book was an outcome of the author’s year long stay in Delhi. In addition to rigorous research, it contains several of his experiences and reveals anecdotes giving an insightful account of the city and its people and throwing light on the co- existence of past and present through his work.

2. Delhi, its monuments and history, by Percival Spear, Laura Sykes and Narayani Gupta

A well recognised guide book for Delhi, it talks about the city’s big and small monuments, even the ones that escape our day-out itineraries. In further editions, the book has been updated by Laura Sykes and Narayani Gupta to document the changes that have taken place ever since the book was first written.

3. Mansions at Dusk: The Havelis of Old Delhi’ by Pavan K Varma

It is an informative text which explores nine havelis of Shahjahanabad, including Begum Samru’s palace and others which are in dire need of preservation. Little of the grandeur of Old Delhi survives today and this book is a thoughtful insight into once – glorious havelis that are now a tale of decay and misuse.

4. Delhi: A History, by Manisha Chaudhary

This book comes in handy for when you need facts presented concisely. Introducing information that is otherwise difficult to access, Choudhary present valuable knowledge in a well-narrated format.

5. Connaught Place and the Making of New Delhi, by Swapna Liddle

It is a short read of 190 pages that talks about New Delhi, the capital of Britishers after Kolkata and its evolution as the capital of Republic of India. It is a text which is filled with intriguing facts and clever politics involved behind the planning of the ‘new’ capital.

6. Jinnealogy: Time, Islam, and Ecological Thought in the Medieval Ruins of Delhi, by Anand Vivek Taneja

Taneja explores the ruins of Firoz Shah Kotla and its unusual traditions that revolve around djinns. With a first hand experience of the rituals along with conversations and letters, he also writes about the syncretic environment which still prevails despite communal tensions.

7. Monuments of Delhi: Lasting splendor of the great Mughals and others, by Maulvi Zafar Hasan

Due to its strategic location, Delhi has been an active land of politics since the protohistoric period which has given this city uncountable monuments. This book talks about 1200 monuments of Delhi along with their architecture, history and several episodes related to them.