India, March 24 -- Long before celebrated Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib made Ballimaran his home, the locality in Chandni Chowk was inhabited by families of men who used tall bamboo poles called "balli" to row boats in Nahar-e-Faiz, which was a canal built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan in a bid to bring Yamuna waters into the city of Shahjahanabad. It is believed that since "balli maarne waale (those who use bamboo poles)" lived here, the area, which is now a busy wholesale market, got its name - Ballimaran.

Such is the relationship of the river with the city that even when it has disappeared, turned filthy black, become a victim of political slugfest and unfulfilled electoral promises, it remains an integral part of the city, its people and its ...