The book 'Delhi: City of Yoginis' published by Pilgrims Publishing (Varanasi) and authored by Suphal Kumar is a very interesting work in more than one ways. It leads us not only to the mystic realms of Yoginis, Djinns, Devas and Devis but also to the kingdom of exloitation of the system in a certain political, economic and a cultural background. It not only points out the general unawareness of the importance of the inner soul but also the ignorance of the physical outer framework.
There are many debatable points in the very introduction of the book by Christopher N Burchett, especially when he talks about 'the framework of the cultural India', but his observations are worth noting. 'A city surrounded by so much hatred... yet filled with so much love and harmony...Delhi will always amaze the newcomer and overawe the unaware with its magnificence,' says Mr Burchett.
In its outer structure, the book seems to be a comparison between the holy city Varanasi, the author hails from, and Delhi, and in course of this process he finds some striking similarity too. However, in the core of this effort is the exploration of the inner and the outer realities of Delhiites and settlers of the city throughout ages to know how and what they have become today.
It was but natural to divide this book in such parts that may give a clear picture of the heritage and our treatments towards it.
The presiding deity of Delhi is Mother Goddess Yogamaya, the legend that not many know about. Telling the story and the narration of the present and past of the places relating to the legend forms the first part of the book.
The second part is the Mutiny of 1857 which is popularly known as the first war of Independence of India. The third part of the book is Sacred Space of Delhi and the fourth is its polity, being the Capital City of India.
Is Delhi essentially a sacred space or a place of political intrigues? Such questions might continue to haunt the readers of this book, but with an added advantage of certain knowledge of the realities of Delhi, the past and the present.