City Style – The Classy Delhiwalla, Connaught Place Style by The Delhi Walla - February 1, 2011March 11, 20110 Searching for the stylish. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] The Delhi Walla saw this man-boy in the park above Palika Bazaar parking in Connaught Place, Delhi’s Colonial-era shopping district. Talking on a black-and-red cell phone, he was in black trouser, black shirt, black waistcoat and black shoes. A black dinner jacket lay folded on his left arm (The winter was ending and it was too warm to wear it). However, it wasn’t the black, but the red of his glasses and tie that caught my eye. No one was dressed like him. While imposisble to source the exact origin of his chic (his innocent amorousness? His punk haircut? His slimness), a part of it definitely came from his hesitantly independent spirit
City Faith – The Sufi’s Birthday, Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah Faith by The Delhi Walla - February 1, 2011February 2, 20110 The night of the saint. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] The shrine of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Delhi’s 14th century sufi saint, is being decked up with flowers and electric bulbs to celebrate his 796th birthday. The night of February 1, 2011, will be busy for the dargah’s qawwals, about 30 in number. From 11 pm to 5 am, they will sing love songs of poet Amir Khusro, which he composed in praise of his beloved, Hazrat Nizamuddin. At 2 am, the saint’s tomb will be washed with rose water in a ritual called Gusal. Come to the shrine for three reasons. 1) for the music, 2) to make your wishes, 3) to be blessed by the saint. Where Mathura Road, Nizamuddin