Dreaming a Paradise , written by the photographer and documentary filmmaker Chitvan Gill, takes us deep into the heart of Buland Masjid, an unauthorised settlement on the banks of the river Yamuna in Delhi. Through richly detailed text and photographs, Gill shows us a community that, despite being overlooked and walled off from the city’s wealth, thrives with energy and enterprise. The book unfolds like a guided walk through the narrow lanes of Buland Masjid.
Gill’s narrative is interspersed with references from world literature and poetry, adding layers to the stories of the people who call this settlement their home. Each chapter stands on its own, much like the diverse facets of an urban landscape, revealing the complexities of life in Buland Masjid. This is the book’s strength and, I feel, its weakness as well.
More on this later. In “The Migration”, the opening chapter that sets the context, Gill etches a poignant portrait of the struggles and hopes that drive people in different parts of the world to leave their homes in search of a better life. Gill’s exploration of Muslim identity also challenges monolithic perceptions.
There is a light-hearted account of how once she visited the colony and heard a staggered series of azaans from the many mosques there. A young boy named Majid explained: “They are all rival factions, each with their own mosque, and they stagger their timings to establish their own identity.” Gill does not mince words when highlighting .
