My latest book is The One Who Swam With The Fishes.

"A mesmerizing account of the well-known story of Matsyagandha ... and her transformation from fisherman’s daughter to Satyavati, Santanu’s royal consort and the Mother/Progenitor of the Kuru clan." - Hindustan Times

"Themes of fate, morality and power overlay a subtle and essential feminism to make this lyrical book a must-read. If this is Madhavan’s first book in the Girls from the Mahabharata series, there is much to look forward to in the months to come." - Open Magazine

"A gleeful dollop of Blytonian magic ... Reddy Madhavan is also able to tackle some fairly sensitive subjects such as identity, the love of and karmic ties with parents, adoption, the first sexual encounter, loneliness, and my favourite, feminist rage." - Scroll



Sign up for my newsletter: The Internet Personified

6 August 2004

An Ode To My City

I love Delhi.
I love Delhi even when it's hot and humid like it is now and you sniff the air hoping for a stray wisp of wind.
I love Delhi when it rains, and you can smell the exhaust fumes and the wet earth in a glorious metropolitan perfume.
I love Delhi in the winter when everyone stretches out towards the sun like sleepy cats.
I love Delhi for India Gate, which is like a giant roundabout and connects the East, West, South and North in one circle.
I love Delhi for the shops, which stock everything from rejected Gap exportwear to prawn crackers to three different flavours of Coke.
I love Delhi even during rushhour, when everyone is in a bad mood and starts honking the second the light turns green.
I love Delhi for being able to navigate in its labyrinths, looking pityingly at the poor foreigners who get rooked to within an inch of their lives the moment they set out.
I love Delhi for its posh five-star hotels, for its roadside meal vendors, for roasted corn on the cob, complete with lemon and tangy spices.
I love Delhi for driving past on a busy intersection and spotitng street kids swinging from a tyre hung on the tree, their toes pointing at the traffic.
I love Delhi for its people, the few that care, that bring music and theatre into our lives.
I love Delhi for its nightclubs and then stopping at 3 am to have stuffed paranthas with egg and pickle.
I love Delhi for its language-- Hindi not like anywhere else in India-- and the way it bonds its citizens together.
I love Delhi, for being 'My Delhi' my special place with memories and friends, my home.

4 comments:

  1. Ah....
    the post brought back the memories of the city with m emories stored deep in my heart...
    right now away in hostel only thing i can have is memories of the city....
    the post was great....
    and i do miss those car rides at night for those very "paranthas".....
    i miss Delhi.....
    ciao.....
    sometime drop in at www.highwaystar70182.blogspot.com
    ciao,
    Gaurav

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Mynna!!!

    I love Delhi in the winter!!
    I love Delhi in the rain!!
    I hate Delhi in the summer!!
    But hey... its followed by winter after rain!!

    Baaaad poetry .. but you get the picture!!! See you on moving day!! Cheers!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. yeah..the delhi which always changes its colors..enchanting at times, harsh n rude when totally down, unreacheable when power and glitteratti flows, its season changes..smell..language..food(though foul most of the times..!)
    dilli was my first city

    njoyed reading

    binu

    ReplyDelete
  4. oops, the language part was the one which was foul at times(most, as said) .... and not food (it came later in b/w :) )

    binu

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your feedback! It'll be published once I approve it. Inflammatory/abusive comments will not be posted. Please play nice.