The Decline of Delhi’s Urdu Bazaar

AFP/APP

New Delhi: In the vibrant lanes of Old Delhi, the echoes of literary debates have faded, replaced by the sizzling aroma of street food. Mohammed Mahfooz Alam, a bookseller and custodian of Urdu literature, finds himself among the dwindling few still peddling the written word in a language once celebrated by poets and scholars.

“Once, we published over 100 books a year,” lamented Alam, who has witnessed the transformation of Urdu Bazaar from a bustling hub of literary culture to a mere shadow of its former self. Today, only a handful of bookstores remain, their shelves increasingly bare as the demand for Urdu literature dwindles.

The narrow streets, once alive with the chatter of passionate readers and writers, are now dominated by restaurants, leaving Alam to ponder the future of a language he loves. “It’s now a food market,” he sighed, a poignant reminder of the cultural shift that has led to the decline of Urdu’s rich literary heritage.

With each passing year, Alam fears the loss of Urdu’s vibrant community, urging the need for revitalization and appreciation of a language that has historically been a cornerstone of artistic expression in India.