I was in Delhi the last few days. Yesterday I met Dr Rathnasree, Director of Nehru Planetarium, and mentioned to her about the dust clouds that sweep and swirl around in all parts of Delhi. She suggested that the dust is probably a function of the geological piece of landmass that Delhi finds itself on, additionally, being a tropical country, the weathering is cruel and complete and may be implicated as well.
As I single handely kept the autorickshaws running in Delhi for four days, I saw dust coating everything - democratically and mindlessly; I felt dust in my teeth, eyes and nose; I become part of this rolling wave of powdered matter that ran hither and thither under the December sun. As I gazed the sun go down behind Qutb Minar, dust ghosts carelessly bounced off the broken rubble of a later king's overreaching ambition.
Unfinished Alai Minor by Ala ud din Khalji. 1311 AD.
[I did an audio interview with Dr Rathnasree. It'll be published at thescian.com in the coming weeks.]
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