Ever since the publication of the “big baggy monster”—as the author himself prefers to call it—that is ‘Midnight’s Children’, Salman Rushdie burst forth on the scene, with an international renown that was only to surge with time. And now, with his birthday round the corner on June 19, it feels apt to revisit the vast, layered worlds he has created. Rushdie's works brim with a transnational dynamism and speak of streets of Chennai with just as much intimacy as they do of the streets of Manhattan. With postcolonial themes to cosmopolitan narratives, his works amount to the perfect bandobast for a familiarisation with numerous places. From the bazaars of Bombay to the shikaras of Srinagar, today we delve into the literary trail of the author and find out the top spots that might form a Rushdie itinerary. Here is a journey into the landscapes Rushdie created, from the heart of India’s independence to mythical empires and dystopian Americas.
The journey begins in Bombay, the vibrant city at the centre of ‘Midnight’s Children’. In this Booker-winning novel, Saleem Sinai, following various ominous prognostications, is born at the exact moment of India’s independence, which is to say, famously, “At the stroke of the midnight hour…”, and the city itself becomes a living symbol of the nation’s birth. Malabar Hill, where Saleem’s lives in a house bought off by a British official, anchors much of the scene in the novel. In one of the scenes, the Hanging Gardens of Malabar Hill also makes a cameo when little Saleem is taken out there for a pram-ride.
Marine Drive, known as the Queen’s Necklace and one of the iconic landmarks of Bombay, sweeps along the Arabian Sea and makes for a few pivotal actions through the narrative. The enigmatic Chor Bazaar, with its mazes of antique shops, also features in the novel in reference to a dodgy nightingale. In Rushdie’s vision, Bombay is surely a city except it transcends itself as simply a city and gathers a character that’s brimming with momentous lived experiences constantly shifting and remaking itself, much like the India that Saleem represents.
From Bombay, the trail ascends into the mountains of Kashmir, the primary setting of ‘Shalimar the Clown’. The fictional village of Pachigam is inspired by Kashmir’s real natural beauty and troubled history. Set among cherry orchards and saffron fields, the village is first presented as a place of harmony, where tradition, art, and community thrive. Shalimar performs his tightrope acts along the riverside stages, symbolising a precarious balance that cannot last. As conflict tears through the region, the village mirrors the personal tragedy of Shalimar’s descent into extremism. The waters of Dal Lake, with their timeless houseboats and silent shikaras, serve as a quiet, haunting backdrop to the valley’s fall from peace into violence.
Furthermore, Dal Lake also makes several appearances in ‘Midnight’s Children’ alongside Shankaracharya Temple, which is situated atop Shankaracharya Hill. This historic temple, devoted to Hindu deity Shiva, provides sweeping views of Dal Lake and Srinagar. In ‘Midnight's Children’, Rushdie calls it the Takht-e-Suleiman, or the Seat of Solomon. Film enthusiasts might recognise the site as the chosen location for the "Bismil Bismil" song and dance sequences from Vishal Bhardwaj's film "Haider."
The trail next takes us to the dual settings of ‘The Enchantress of Florence’, a novel where Mughal India and Renaissance Italy collide. Much of the novel unfolds in Fatehpur Sikri — the town bearing the most ardent testimony to Akbar’s megalomania built in magnificent red sandstone. The grand Buland Darwaza, Akbar’s palaces, and the intricately designed Diwan-i-Khas provide the architectural splendour that Rushdie brings alive in his narrative.
But the story also crosses continents to Florence, where Renaissance art, politics, and palace intrigue mirror the power struggles of Akbar’s empire. The frescoed palazzos, narrow cobbled streets, and Medici courts of Florence echo the novel’s themes of ambition, cultural exchange, and storytelling as diplomacy. These two cities, separated by distance but united in Rushdie’s imagination, form a richly layered tale of empire and enchantment.
In his latest ‘Victory City’, Rushdie takes a turn towards medieval South India, constructing the whole fictional empire of Bisnaga. Inspired by the real Vijayanagara Empire and its illustrious history alongside modern-day Hampi, Bisnaga is founded by the goddess-inspired Pampa Kampana. The novel unfolds among the palaces, temples and market streets of this once-mighty seafaring empire, whose ruins still stand in Hampi and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Coral towers rise above vast courtyards, while intricate stone temples display stories carved in granite. Bisnaga’s tale is one of divine creation, political intrigue, feminist revolution and eventual collapse. In this richly imagined narrative, Rushdie explores power, mythology, and the inevitable decline of all human empires.
