Dreaming a Paradise

The story of the people of Buland Masjid, a community of migrants in Delhi.

In Dreaming a Paradise, Chitvan Gill draws on years of research and photographic reportage to unveil the tales of individuals driven to escape poverty, violence and despair in search of happiness and a place to call home. At the heart of this book lies Buland Masjid, an unauthorized colony on the Yamuna riverbank in Delhi, India, which thrives with restless industry even under the unyielding grip of poverty. The women and men of this colony recycle scrap, repair machines, manufacture clothes, run schools and sell delicious food, breathing new energy into a once-desolate economy. However, beneath the surface lies a tale of urban planning gone awry, reflecting the comprehensive failure of those in power. Delving into the lives of those cast aside and walled off from India’s vast wealth, this book highlights the huge divide between modern India’s haves and have-nots and the inherent contradictions in a nation grappling with its identity.

In a compelling exploration of humanity’s journey, Dreaming a Paradise reveals the triumphs, tragedies, hopes and hardships of resilient souls seeking their own patch of heaven amidst chaos. From the eternal cycles of loss and discovery, we witness the formation of civilizations and the timeless yearning that defines the human condition.

“Filmmaker-author Chitvan Gill’s book Dreaming of Paradise paints a deeply personal narrative of migration, of the lives and stories of a pocket of Delhi where residents strive to create their own haven amidst the city’s chaos.”—The Morning Standard