दरियागंज | Daryaganj | the riverside market

Daryaganj is a neighbourhood within the walled city of Old Delhi, formerly Shahjahanabad. Its border stretches from the landmark Delhi Gate to the magnificent Red Fort, both built under the orders of Emperor Shah Jahan in 1638-39. The Red Fort, a sandstone palace designed by Ustad Ahmad Lahori, the architect behind the Taj Mahal, was once the residence of Mughal Emperors following the shift of India’s capital from Agra to Delhi. After Partition in 1947 when the current market traders first settled in the area, the area was re-named Darya – river; Ganj – market. The river in question being the Yamuna, which holds profound significance in Hindu culture.

Daryaganj is now famous for its markets showcasing ripe and vibrant fruit and vegetables in the mornings, its Kitab – book Bazaar on street pavements every Sunday, and legendary restaurants including the Moti Mahal, the birthplace of butter chicken itself. In the middle of the buzzing market streets, book publishers and spice-perfumed grill smoke, an oasis opened in 1927 – Dr Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital (SCEH) – my digs for the next year.

Day one, 08:00 Tuesday morning I reach SCEH while humming along to the drift of old-school Bollywood songs on the radio. I’m greeted outside by the warm enthusiastic smile of Dr Umang Mathur, who gives me a tour of the hospital during which we discuss the inspiring work of the staff. Like them all, the hospital is a maze. Dr Umang Mathur, a well-established ophthalmologist, joined SCEH in 1998 and played a huge role in transforming it from a state of neglect into one of the best hospitals in north India. The Institution now champions patient care, academia, research and public health, with over 250 long and short-term fellows trained in ophthalmology under Dr Mathur since he joined. After training at the LV Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, Dr Mathur became a surgeon and has performed cataract surgery on India’s former President, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. With several research publications, Dr Mathur founded the Bodhya Eye Consortium which links several research communities based in eye-care institutions around the country.

I listen to Dr Mathur as we walk through the corridors and the beautiful gardens, which muffle the surrounding Daryaganj. I’m truly honoured to have his time and his attention this morning and, to my relief despite me talking about art and street photography in India, Dr Mathur seems excited about my presence here. There are so many divisions, so many teams and tasks here and I want to contribute to them all. I am shown my office which has a kitchen and an extension with desks and chairs, which has been specially prepared for my work with Dr Mathur’s students who will go on to treat patients that will soon be experiencing colour for the first time. Dr Mathur wants to document the experience of the students, nurses and all other staff members around the hospital just as closely as the patient stories.

As for myself, I can’t avoid saying it. My experience is going to be eye-opening.