Flash Back

Ram Rahman knows how to find his way through the labyrinthine lanes of Old Delhi. He is interested not just in its present but also the past — the buildings forgotten over time,some dilapidated,others wearing a modern facade. “The area has structures that are centuries old,” says the photographer,entering a narrow lane off Dariban Kalan. This leads into the Khazanchi Lane,at the end of which is a mansion in ruins that talks of a magnificent past. A dead tree stands by the marble pool in front of which is what possibly was a palatial hall,now in shambles.

“The roof fell 10 to 15 years back,” says one of the current occupants of the house. While another resident insists that the mansion was built during Aurangzeb’s reign,Rahman argues that the carving is typical of Shah Jahan’s era. “That was the period of a lot of floral detailing,Aurangzeb continued some of that but it eventually became simpler,the tulip flower became flatter and the red sandstone was replaced with stone dust sandstone,” he says,eventually finding out that the building indeed belonged to Shah Jahan’s accountant and reportedly had a dungeon that was connected to Red Fort.

Rahman has been documenting the neighbourhood for more than two decades. He remembers one of his first visits with journalist Satish Jacob and filmmaker Shyam Benegal more than 20 years ago. Much has been explored since. “The aim is to celebrate the past and the treasure trove,” he adds.

He points out that the surroundings also chronicle changes in architectural styles. An art deco building from the ’90s is next to a huge wooden gate with a carved frame in stone. On another street,tea is being prepared next to a carved pillar and yet another locality has a covered well that was perhaps used centuries ago. There is a motor erected close to it now. Roofs of some houses have matkas over wooden planks sealed with marble or mud for insulation. “It’s difficult to find out the history of some of these but they are of utmost historical significance,” says Rahman. With hundreds of photographs in his archive,he is not sure when will he curate them together but the process of building on the collection is still on.