Queer Histories of India : Baithak & Heritage walk

Queer Histories of India : A heritage walk & baithak at Jamali Qamali & Hijron Ka Khanqah

At Mehrauli Archaeological park & Village

Queerness is not a Western invention — it is carved in our temples, sung in our poetry, and whispered through centuries of silenced histories.

Join us for an evening of storytelling, history, and dialogue as we explore the rich and diverse queer pasts of India — from Hindu mythology to the medieval Islamic world, and into the very stones and bylanes of Delhi’s historical landmarks.

• Mythology & Gender Fluidity: Queer themes in Hindu epics – from Shikhandi, Aravan, and Mohini to divine same-sex unions

• Medieval Queer Spaces: Intimacies in Sufi poetry, court chronicles, and Indo-Persian literature

Delhi’s Queer Heritage Sites:

• Hijron ka Khanqah – the 15th-century resting place of transgender saints

• Jamali Qamali’s tomb

• Queer-coded hidden narratives in monuments we pass every day

Why a Heritage Baithak & Walk

Because reclaiming history is resistance.

Because queerness didn’t arrive — it was always here.

Because our past holds the power to heal, affirm, and liberate.

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👥 Open to all — allies, students, activists, history buffs, and the quietly curious.

Meeting point: Jamali Qamali inside Mehrauli Archeological park

Ending point: Hijron ka Khanqah inside Mehrauli Village market