When Home Becomes Legacy

How Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Bijnor, Junnar and family roots shape the stories we inherit.

Time is the strangest thing on the planet. It’s always in motion, and motion always brings change. Cities change, people move on. Some live in their birth homes all their lives, proud of their nativity. Others are like seeds, carried by the wind to other lands, perhaps just another locality.

I was one of those seeds, shifting localities forever.

Now, I live in a skyscraper near the field where two rivers meet. But I was born in the Delhi that everyone gushes over, reclaiming the era of the Mughals. And then the British entered, adding their bit to it.

The Yamuna did flow close by there too, but sadly, it is now lost to the city’s garbage and its uncaring ways.

Birthplaces are like fantasy portals, mesmerising and mysterious. Sometimes, in the winter months, on Sundays, I walk through the old alleys of Chandni Chowk and Nai Sarak. Even in the narrowest alley, where the sun can’t find a way in, I find wonder. It never ceases to amaze me that there was once a regal world here.

But would I be able to live there again? I doubt it. I am so used to the comforts of a modern skyscraper and a gated community.

While remaining rooted is a dream for me, during my travels I’ve met young men who wear their roots like crowns. They have reclaimed their native legacy by showcasing it to the world in their own unique ways.

Their inheritance is their crown.

It’s been almost eight years since I met Arvind in Jaipur. Long before we met in person, his website JaipurThruMyLens was my window to the Pink City, a far cry from the touristy brochure or agency itinerary. It was this USP, the city’s pulse, that changed my view of Jaipur. It became more than the forts and palaces; it became a Pink City of experiences beyond the usual tourist trail.

He turned his roots into wonder walks through Jaipur Retold.

In Lucknow, I met Himanshu Bajpai, a master of the Urdu oral storytelling art, dastangoi, long before he became a legend in the art. His roots embedded in the city of nawabs, this freelance journalist, storyteller and author wove a spell with stories about the king of fruits, mangoes.

Sitting under a large tree, his narration had children and adults laughing and clapping. His journey with dastangoi even took him to Harvard University for a performance.

Cities apart, I was surprised to find old roots living through their natives in offbeat places like Junnar in Maharashtra and Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh.

Junnar isn’t your regular touristy trail. Surrounded by forts, geological wonders, agricultural fields and even a dam, this vast expanse is an explorer’s paradise. And then there is Siddharth Kasbe, who takes you through the mysterious caves inhabited by Buddhist monks and once used as resting grounds by ancient traders.

A history graduate and journalist, Siddharth is a master of the Brahmi script, deciphering the messages carved into stone for curious ones like me. His stories enrapture, transforming Maratha legends into a captivating world.

I would never have imagined that a wetland wonder lay just a three-hour drive from my place had I not seen an invitation posted on Facebook by Tornos India founder Prateek Hira. Tornos is a travel agency based in Lucknow.

There, I discovered a colourful natural world, preserved by a community of avid birders created by Ashish Loya.

Ashish Gujjar, Loya’s most curious student, has discovered many rare birds in the Haiderpur Wetland. An agriculturist and nature lover, Gujjar is involved in conserving the wetland and educating people about it. He has created his own identity by showcasing the wonders of the wetland and its neighbouring areas to people from foreign lands.

Somehow, these men remind me of the way our dreams work, originating with our birthplace and becoming part of a bigger dreamland for others.

I may not walk through the alleys of Chandni Chowk with tourists, but my heart still lives on in the old haveli where I lived during my childhood.

It’s a legacy that I carry inside my skyscraper home as well.

Ambica Gulati is a journalist, senior editorial professional and storyteller with 26+ years of experience across India’s media landscape, including Swagat and Outlook Traveller. Her work spans travel, culture, environment, global affairs and visual storytelling.

Through Big World, Small Stories, she looks beyond the obvious to explore the people, places, encounters and ideas that reveal something larger about our changing world.