Delhi: A Nature Journal

This nature journal of Delhi by Anuradha Kumar-Jain follows the changing seasons as they play out day after day in an uncompromisingly urban landscape.

Delhi, while lying in the tropics, is sufficiently distant from the equator to enjoy largely distinct seasons, each of which brings with it its own flavour—from the golden cascades of laburnum in summer to the indigo skies of monsoon, the riotous blooms of winter and the nesting birds of spring.

Life and nature thrive everywhere; birds sing, trees burst into new leaves, flowers bloom, butterflies flutter by, clouds scud across the sky; each at their own pace and at their appointed hour, as if keeping time with some unsung melody. This book urges the reader to stop, listen, observe and maybe even reconnect with this magical performance that is enacted everywhere, every day, even in a bustling metropolis like Delhi. It is a reminder that nature is all around us; in the chirping of house sparrows, nostalgia of petrichor, fragrance of jasmine on sultry evenings, fluttering down of leaves in March. It is our oft-neglected friend, our haven of tranquillity.

The beautiful illustrations by Bahaar Meera Jain bring alive Anuradha’s highly evocative nature writing. Delhi: A Nature Journal could be cathartic even, if only we were to pause and let our surroundings calm us, heal us.