The beautiful Delhi instant.
[Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi]
One evening The Delhi Walla was in Jama Masjid, the grand mosque that Mughal emperor Shahjahan built in 1628. The gigantic courtyard was taken over by hundreds of men, women and children. Its open space made the dark-blue sky look as vast as an ocean.
The domes, minarets and ramparts of the mosque were strung with fairy lights. It was about time to break the roza, the day-long fast that Muslims keep in the month of Ramzan. People were sitting on the stone floor in groups of families and friends, circling platters of sliced fruits, spiced chickpeas, vegetable fritters, potato chips, and soft drink bottles. The monsoon breeze was bringing relief from the season’s humidity.
At 7.10 pm, a great boom thundered through the mosque, signaling the end of the fast. Another boom followed. Everyone started to eat. Everyone was quiet. It was a beautiful moment.
Breezy evening
Waiting for the boom
Eat now
The day’s first meal
God is great
Awesome photo of lit-up mosque in the fading daylight. Good thing it wasn’t raining, yet the air is so clean. This “monsoon” season has been good for photos that way. I.e., I presume these photos were taken this year…
Excellent photos, Mayank. I did spot you walking in the crowds that evening – with your footwear in one hand and the camera in the other. It was nice to see The Delhi Walla in person – though from a distance! Love the way you bring this city alive everyday for me through your blog.
The sky was very beautiful on 8th & 9th of August. Time perhaps you were taking these pics I was remembering you after seeing the sky. God bless you.
Beautiful-No matter where in this World you are, go to any significant mosque during Iftar, be it in Delhi, Istanbul, Lahore or Medina, you will see the same scene, men , women, and children breaking the fast with their family, enjoying whilst doing so, happy in their united belief for Allah (God) our Creator.
Thanks Mayank