City Food – Julia Child Cooks Litti Chokha in Mayur Vihar-I

City Food – Julia Child Cooks Litti Chokha in Mayur Vihar-I

The great chef’s life in Delhi. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Meet the Julia Child of Mayur Vihar, Phase-I, a neighborhood near Akshardham Temple in east Delhi. A graduate in science from Bihar’s Ranchi Women’s College, Ms Child…

Mission Delhi - Sakina Mehta, Greater Kailash-II

Mission Delhi – Sakina Mehta, Greater Kailash-II

One of the one per cent in 13 million. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Gazing at her husband’s photograph, she says, “He taught me a lot.” A pause follows after which 80-something Sakina Mehta continues in her soft…

Photo Essay – Hauz Khas Lake, Near Green Park

Photo Essay – Hauz Khas Lake, Near Green Park

An urban oasis. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] The lake is still. Its dead trees lie marooned, partially submerged in water; the bare trunks standing erect. Ducks swim, leaving a trail of ripples behind them. Birds flap noiselessly,…

City Hangout - Shahpur Jat Village, South Delhi

City Hangout – Shahpur Jat Village, South Delhi

A designer getaway. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] In Shahpur Jat (SPJ) village, south Delhi, the turbaned elders smoke hookahs in street corners while primped mannequins gaze out through glass windows. More than a hundred stores – from…

The Biographical Dictionary of Delhi – Mirza Ghalib, b. Agra, 1797-1869

The Biographical Dictionary of Delhi – Mirza Ghalib, b. Agra, 1797-1869

The definitive directory of famous Delhiites. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Do we laugh or cry for Ghalib? Is it possible without writing a book-length biography to convey the contrasts of his low life and high career, and…

City Faith – Urs Celebrations, Khawaja Qutub Dargah

City Faith – Urs Celebrations, Khawaja Qutub Dargah

Delhi’s oldest sufi shrine. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Reached via the congested bylanes of Meharuli, south Delhi, the shrine is entered through a broad uncovered pathway. Outside an old red mosque, sit the dargah qawwals. It’s a…

City Moment – The Family of Man, Galli Kaley Khan

City Moment – The Family of Man, Galli Kaley Khan

The beautiful Delhi instant. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] The Delhi Walla was one afternoon taking a stroll at Galli Kaley Khan, a narrow passage in Daryaganj, a quarter in the Walled City. The alley was lined with…

Mission Delhi – Faisal Khan, Mehrauli

Mission Delhi – Faisal Khan, Mehrauli

One of the one per cent in 13 million. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Taking off his yellow T-shirt and flexing his muscles, he says, “I’m eating too much biryani. I need to tone up my body.” The…

City Season – The Basant People, Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah

City Season – The Basant People, Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah

The yellow of the spring. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Every year as winter gives way to Delhi’s short spring spell, the Delhiwallas mark the shift in season by offering yellow mustard flowers at the shrine of Hazrat…

City Hangout – The Art Galleries of Hauz Khas

City Hangout – The Art Galleries of Hauz Khas

The 14th century village as an art destination. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Besides its haunting ruins, Hauz Khas Village in south Delhi is known for its designer stores, curio shops, two South Indian specialty restaurants, one lounge-bar…