In a lyrical vein, Delhi is sometimes called the dil (heart)
of India. It’s not only the country’s capital but is also well known for its
magnificent historical monuments, which are of course a perennial source of
tourist attraction. The history of Delhi is as old as the Mahabharata — the
town was then known as Indraprastha, where it is said that the Pandavas lived.

The etymology of Delhi is rather uncertain as a number of
legends are associated with the origin of the name. According to one such, it
originated from Raja Dhilu or Dilu, a king of the Mauryan Dynasty who reigned
in the first century BC and named the city after himself. The various names by
which it has been known since then are Dilhika, Dilli, Dhilli, and Dehli.

So its current name “Dehli” is believed to be a corruption
of the Mauryan King’s name. Some historians believe that the name is derived
from Dilli, a corruption of dehleez or dehali — Hindi for threshold — and
symbolic of the city that is a gateway to the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

Eight more cities came into existence adjacent to Delhi as
the centuries rolled by. These were Lal Kot, Siri, Dinpanah, Quila Rai Pithora,
Ferozabad, Jahanpanah, Tughlabad and Shahjahanabad. In short, Delhi has had a
very colourful past. However, it is also a fact that from the Medieval Age to
the middle of the 19th century, Delhi often remained engulfed in political
turmoil involving bloody fratricidal wars of the scions of royalty, and
massacres carried out by bloodthirsty invaders from the north.

There was therefore always widespread social unrest. But
there were also peaceful intervals during which Delhi was the hub of
socio-cultural-literary activities. Great Urdu poets Mirza Ghalib and Zauq were
simply enamoured of Delhi. Zauq once said, Kaunjaye Zauq Dilli ki galiyan
chodkar… (Who wants to leave the streets and lanes of Dilli).

A city that has been through so many upheavals over the last
seven centuries has naturally a very interesting and exciting history. So,
historians have written extensively, poets have sung its glories in their
creations, and novelists have set their stories in Delhi.Some well-known books
of recent times on and about Delhi are, The Last Mughal: The Fall Of A Dynasty
and City Of Djinns by William Dalrymple; Ahmed Ali’s novel Twilight in Delhi is
set in old Delhi and is now considered a classic of Indian writing in English.
Khushwant Singh was so much in love with Delhi that he took more than 20 years
to write a voluminous novel simply called Delhi.

Even filmmakers have not remained immune to the abiding
charm of Delhi.

Over the last seven decades many Hindi films have been made
with Delhi as the backdrop of their storylines. In fact the name “Delhi”
itself, either singly or in combination with other words, has been used as the
title of so many Hindi films. A few that one can readily recall from memory are
Chandni Chowk (1954), New Delhi (1956), Dilli Darbar (1956), Ab Dilli Door
Nahin (1957), Dilli Ka Thug (1958), Delhi Junction (1960), Dilli Ka Dada
(1962), New Delhi (1988), Delhi 6 (2009), Delhi Belly (2011), Challo Dilli
(2011), Delhi Safari (2012), and Kya Dilii, Kya Lahore (2014).

Delhi 6 is all about characters who are residents of old
Delhi. The storyline of the film, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, is set
in Old Delhi’s narrow, winding streets and alleys with their imposing old
havelis, which are reminiscent of the times of Mughal kings. The Postal Index
Number code of the Chandni Chowk area is six and hence the title. The film
captures on camera some authentic scenes of the hubbub of incessant human
activity around Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid, and the Red Fort areas of old
Delhi.  

Hindi film songs highlighting the importance of Delhi are
almost legion. Some of these songs glorifying Delhi were so popular in their
time that they remained on the lips of music buffs for years. One such, written
by Sahir Ludhianvi, figured in the 1954 Hindi film Chandni Chowk. The song,
Zameen bhi wohi hai, wohi aasmaan, magar ab wo Dilli ki galiyaan kahan…. had a
sad, dirge-like tune composed by Roshan and it suited the somewhat sombre
opening of the film.

In the 1960 Hindi film Patang, there was a catchy chorus
song called Delhi hai dil Hindustan ka, yeh to teerath hai sarey jahan ka…
rendered by Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar and chorus — this song is even used today
for documentary films on Delhi to underscore its importance in India’s
history. 

There are also a few comic old songs about Delhi. This one
among them takes the cake. In 1942 came a Hindi film called Jhoola starring
Ashok Kumar and Leela Chitnis. Although it was an ordinary love story with the
usual quota of songs and dances, one of its songs became a craze with
movie-goers. In the refrain of this song Delhi finds a flattering and recurrent
mention.Written by Pradeep, the song, Mein to Dilli se dulhan laya re hey
babuji… was a hilarious comic duet sung by Arun Kumar and Rehmat Bano.
Old-timers’ eyes brighten up even now when they listen to the song on radio or
TV.