About the Author Ronald Vivian Smith, journalist, novelist, poet, occultist and historical researcher since 1954, carries on the legacy of his father, Thomas Smith. As a chronicler of the Delhi, Agra, Jaipur Golden Triangle, he has left few stones unturned to discover quaint tales. The present collection is a sample of his quest for things seen by many but comprehended by a few in a mundane age. Khushwant Singh once told him that he would never go stale. The old-timer’s prediction may well be true. Once upon a time, one would hear many interesting stories while standing in front of shops or sitting in the galis of the Walled City, where the best paan was sold by Karim and Bundu. Those days are gone; but the street corners, lanes and kuchas, monuments and havelis, still have many a fascinating tale to disclose. They may lack a written history but in an instant they come alive through anecdotes and gossip. Here is a collection of such a potpourri of myths, lores and historical tales, in and around Delhi, from the curious investigator, traveller, storyteller and also a renowned journalist, R.V. Smith.
