Flash Back

“The roof fell 10 to 15 years ago,” says one of the current occupants. 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 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. He points to the surroundings which 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. 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,” says Rahman.

With hundreds of photographs in his archive,he is not sure when will he curate them but the process of collection is still on.