The 'Ancient Guardian', circa 1920-1930s.

 

Here’s a grainy photograph titled “The Ancient Guardian of the Ancient Temple,” found online. It dates back to the early 20th century and was taken by visitors to the Qutub complex in Mehrauli. Despite the grand title, the ‘guardian’ pictured here was likely not a mutawalli (a custodian of Muslim charitable endowments), but rather a caretaker appointed by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Images like this are rare and are a window into Delhi’s layered social history. One can imagine that, along with his striking presence, the caretaker may have had many stories to share—tales of the local neighbourhood and the long, storied past of the Qutub itself. 

A short post from me this week. I’ll be back next Friday with more from Delhi.