The City we Became

The City we Became traces the history, culture, and demography of a megalopolis that takes unto its umbra, scores of mini cities. Delhi is a city of many identities, created through waves of movement, memory and resettlement. How it came to be home to a vast multitude of migrants is one of the most compelling stories of urban India. From early Punjabis, Bengalis, or Tamilians to later Afghans, Rohingyas, and people from the Northeast, Delhi is a unique contradiction of a city—constantly floating with new migration waves while at the same time offering a sense of rootedness to many. From community pockets to regional-language schools, from seeking opportunities to creating them, and from preserving traditions to morphing into new hybrid identities — this is a people’s history of Delhi.