This paper is an exploration to reveal various faces of Delhi presented in Williwam Dalrymple's City of Djinns. Moving from 1984 anti-Sikh riots to the site of Indraprastha, Delhi has undergone many changes and what we see today is the eighth city that has been rebuilt after the destruction and reconstruction of previous faces of Delhi. The study endeavors to examine the effect of Operation Blue Star, anti-Sikh riots and the partition of 1947 on the religious face of Delhi with the help of Puris, the land lords of the author and other migrants from Pakistan. The impact of these riots can still be visualized in the eyes of many Punjabis who had to sacrifice their religious symbols-hair and beard. Many times Delhi had faced this brutality and now in the 21^st century it is the New Delhi with its metro and all modern facilities as compensation to what it had suffered in the past. However, an effort has been made in the study to establish that Delhi is transforming itself in every phase and therefore, it justifies its position as the capital of India. It is a true representative of cultural and religious diversity of India and thus arouses interest of all to probe into it.

From age-old eateries in the bylanes of the Walled City to glitzy, specialty restaurants in five-star hotels, Delhi is a moveable feast. It's a city that has risen and fallen over and over again. For centuries, Delhi has been India's most politically significant city. And now the country's capital is going through another transformation. It is seeing a quiet, yet a dramatic makeover ahead

William Dalrymple has set out to trace the layers of culture, civilization and history in the ancient-modern city of Delhi. The enthralling episodes are dealt with in reverse chronology starting from Anti-Sikh riots in 1984 and then the text probes into history to reach the site of Indraprastha. Delhi is evolving every time and therefore it is never dead. The end of one culture contains seed for rejuvenation of another and thus it is growing and evolving culturally since pre-historic times. The book follows Dalrymple's established style of historical digressions tied with contemporary events and a multitude of anecdotes. Dalrymple describes Delhi as, "full of riches and horrors: it was a labyrinth, a city of palaces, an open gutter, filtered light through a filigree lattice, a landscape of domes, an anarchy, a press of people, a choke of fumes, a whiff of spices". In the course of exploration, he unveils `the seven dead cities' of Delhi, the present one is the eighth and each city is an account of destruction and reconstruction of Delhi. Moving from 1984 anti-Sikh riots to the partition trauma and then to the British Raj in history, Dalrymple explores Delhi under Mughals and Muhammed-bin-Tughlaq and in his journey goes up to the site of Indrapastha, the city of Pandavas as described in the Mahabharata. The sadhus at Nigambodh Ghat are the representatives of this Delhi that was invaded and destroyed but was rebuilt like "a phoenix from the fire" (CD, p. 9).

City of Djinns immortalizes Delhi and brings to the fore "the pulsating Delhi which is a cross fertilization of many cultures, and in its new avatars, a completely urban metropolis. Moving backwards and forwards in time, what emerges is a kaleidoscope of images. From the days of the Mughal rule, which are recaptured through the monuments of Delhi, to the partition and what remains behind the walled city, to the post partition which leads to the emergence of a new class of Punjabis who make Delhi their home and a contrast to the aborigines of Delhi who turn out to be the residents of North Delhi."

English Studies Journal, William Dalrymple, Religious Diversity, Sikh Ceremonial Sword, Trilokpuri Massacres, Punjabi Immigrants, Hindu Refugees, Indian Society, Muslim Culture, Antagonistic Cultures, Herbal Medicines, Modern Sufis, Spiritual Surgeries, Cultural Diversity, Cultural Heritage.