As history teachers compete with WhatsApp forwards and Instagram reels, how can scholars of history make the subject accessible and interesting for young audiences, and give them an alternative to half-baked truths, bigotry, and falsehoods?

Eric Chopra, author of Ghosted: Delhi’s Haunted Monuments – and the founder of Itihasology, a platform that talks about Indian history and art – is well-suited to answer this question.

He describes his book as “an entire history of Delhi, from its rocky and prehistoric beginnings in and around Mehrauli to its various cities built over the years: from the Tomars and Chauhans to the Sultans, Mughals, and the British…told through the lens of five ‘haunted’ monuments: Jamali-Kamali, Firoz Shah Kotla, Khooni Darwaza, Mutiny Memorial, and Malcha Mahal”.

In a conversation with Scroll at The Sacred Amritsar festival, Chopra spoke about his fascination with horror, navigating queerness in history, making history fun, and more

How did you decide the sites you wanted to feature in Ghosted? You seem to have a personal relationship with almost all the spaces that you write about.
Thank you for noticing that. When I began, it was because I was fascinated with one monument, which was Jamali Kamali in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park. And my fascination was not so much with the supernatural world but...

Read more