Name: Zubaan-e-Dilli: A Baithak on the Social Dialects of Old Delhi | Fouzia Dastango
Start: 2025-11-30T16:00:00+05:30
End: 2025-11-30T18:00:00+05:30
Location: Dara Shikoh Library

Step into the heart of **Shahjahanabad** — the city that once pulsed with the dreams of India’s architect-emperor, the very hands that built the Taj Mahal. Behind its grand domes and red sandstone arches lies a different story — one that speaks not in marble, but in **the zubaan of its people**. This is Old Delhi, *where history hums through every crumbling haveli*, every call from a chai-seller, every story whispered in the **shaded lanes of Chandni Chowk.**

In the textbooks, we often meet the kings and the monuments. But what about the **karigars, rekhtaywalas, and bawarchis** — *the ordinary people whose daily rhythms shaped the extraordinary identity of Purani Dilli*? **Their language — rich, humorous, layered with idioms and warmth — is a heritage of its own.**

Join us for Zubaan-e-Dilli, an intimate baithak that celebrates this vanishing world. We gather within the atmospheric embrace of the **Partition Museum**, that itself feels like a story waiting to be told. Here, the evening will unfold through the enchanting conversations and narrations by **Fouzia Dastango — India’s first woman Dastangoi artist**, as well as an Old Delhi-waali herself who has grown up listening to these witty and fun dialects!
A world-renowned **Dastango** she will bring alive the grounded voice and wisdom of **Shajahanabad's** (Old Delhi) social dialects in her signature scintillating style!

Through her spirited storytelling and engaging conversations, **Fouzia takes us beyond words** — *into the humour of rehmat, the nostalgia of bazm, and the rhythm of zindagi that still echoes through these mohallas.* Expect laughter, longing, and a rekindling of memories you didn’t know you carried.

A recipient of multiple awards — including the **Karamveer Chakra Award** and the **REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship** (in partnership with the United Nations) — **Fouzia** has dedicated her life to reviving the lost art of Dastangoi and the linguistic treasures of Old Delhi. **Recognized by the Ministry of Women & Child Development as India’s First Woman Dastango** and named among **SheThePeople’s 40 Over 40** she is a storyteller who bridges centuries — from the lanes of Shahjahanabad to the voices of today.

So come, sit haal-e-dil style, sip on chai, and listen as the language of Delhi — once spoken in poetry and affection — comes alive again.
Because the Zubaan of Dilli is not just words.
*It is memory. It is rhythm. It is home.*

**DATE, DAY & TIME:** 30th Nov 2025 \| Sun \| 4PM \- 6PM

**BOOKING LINK:** https://my.allevents.in/zubaan_e_dilli

**CHARGES:** Rs.800
\*Group of 4 or more get 25% off

Shafin Hayat

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