Delhiwale On The Chatta S Chhat

Chatta Sheikh Mangloo, an Old Delhi street that houses the grave of the mystic Sheikh Mangloo, stretches northward from beneath the shadow of Jama Masjid’s southern tower. Yet a citizen walking through the street would catch no glimpse of Old Delhi’s signature monument. Hemmed in by tightly packed multi-storeyed buildings, the cramped lane teems with crowds, commerce, and noise, and shows no glimpse of the aforementioned historic edifice. As if the centuries-old stone structure towering above it belongs to some distant, rumoured world. Consequently, the street is so close to a great monument, yet so far.

Whatever, the word chatta of Chatta Sheikh Mangloo refers to a private bridge-like structure that spans over a street, connecting the upper floors of a residence built on either side. This street retains its chatta. That said, chatta is also phonetically close to chhat, meaning rooftop. Indeed, this same street must also be dissected through its rooftops. For only after climbing to one of the rooftops does Chatta Sheikh Mangloo reveals its complete character.

Well, the view from the chatta’s any random rooftop is…beyond words! You see thousands of rooftops stretching into the distance. One wonders how any street could possibly run between these buildings. From this vantage point, Old Delhi ceases to resemble the historic quarter of the conventional imagination, with its havelis, domes, and minarets rising above streets and bazars. It is simply a sprawl of concrete terraces, uneven in height, shape, and colour. Absolutely no visual harmony.

What makes the rooftops of Chatta Sheikh Mangloo distinctive is that many rooftops are piled up with strange metallic forms that, from afar, resemble giant bird feathers glinting in the sun. They are, in fact, car doors. The discovery becomes less surprising once one returns to the street level, where nearly every shop deals in spare car parts. The rooftops in fact serve as extensions of the market below, being utilised as improvised warehouses under the sky.

Even so, the rooftops here possess an unexpected—no, expected!—beauty. From many of them, the Jama Masjid is seen standing high above Old Delhi’s contemporary bhasar. One recent night, the Delhi sky was restless with stormy clouds. From a chatta rooftop, the historic quarter lay in darkness, except for the illumined Jama Masjid. Suddenly, a flash in the sky lit up the tangled chatts of Chatta Sheikh Mangloo. It was magical. See photo.

Mayank Austen Soofi is a writer-snapper trying to capture Delhi by heart.