Photo Essay – The Peacock’s Monsoon Plot, Mausam Bhawan Photo Essays by The Delhi Walla - July 31, 2016July 31, 20161 Entry without the I-card. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The intruder entered without making any sound. One evening The Delhi Walla witnessed a daring act of trespassing. The intruder sneaked into the highly secured Mausam Bhawan in Central Delhi. This sensitive installation in the heart of the national capital annually allots floods and droughts to different parts of the country. It is India Meteorological Department. The intruder hoodwinked the blue-uniformed security guard by walking past him with the (misplaced) confidence of a weather forecaster. The next obstacle was a board, saying, “Please display your identity card.” The intruder ignored the request and went on. That was the last time the intruder was seen. While one cannot say with certainty about any sinister plot
City Faith – Hazrat Hare Bhare Shah’s Death Anniversary Celebration, Outside Jama Masjid Faith by The Delhi Walla - July 30, 2016July 30, 20161 The Urs of a mystic. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The story of his life has long been forgotten, but his shrine in the Walled City continues to inspire devotion. Hazrat Hare Bhare Shah’s dargah lies just outside the grand Jama Masjid. The marble tomb is next to the tomb of another Sufi mystic, Hazrat Sarmad Shahid, celebrated in books and magazines, and even the subject of an essay by the freedom fighter Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Not much is known, however, about Hare Bhare Shah. Not the devotees, who daily pray at his shrine, not even the flower seller who has been in the dargah for decades. One night The Delhi Walla visited Hare Bhare Shah’s tomb. The shrine was lit
City Walk – From ITO to Red Fort, Central Delhi Walks by The Delhi Walla - July 29, 2016July 29, 20162 The path less traveled. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Trips to Jama Masjid will soon become easier. The trial run of the eagerly awaited and much postponed Heritage Line of the Delhi Metro will begin in August 2016, according to the Delhi Metro Rail Corp. (DMRC). An extension of the Violet Line, this route, expected to open soon to the public, will connect Central Secretariat to Kashmere Gate. At present, ITO is the last stop on this underground stretch of the Metro. The opening of the next three stations—Delhi Gate, Jama Masjid and Red Fort—will make it a truly Heritage Line. Don’t take this as a complaint, but it is a pity that the requirements of commuting comfort will compromise the charms
Delhi’s Bandaged Heart – Poet Manika Dhama, Delhi & Outside Delhi City Poetry by The Delhi Walla - July 27, 2016July 27, 20160 Poetry in the city. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is a privilege to stalk an artist over a long period of time (see all the photos below). The Delhi Walla has been following Manika Dhama’s journey as a poet and writer for many years. I once heard her recite her poem to me in Outer Circle, Connaught Place. I once watched her read a Rebecca West book on the Blue Line of Delhi Metro. I once saw her musing to herself at Café Turtle in Khan Market. I once met her with her mother and her daughter at her parents’ home in Noida (see last photo). A year or so ago Ms Dhama moved out of our city and the trail
City Food – The Archaeology of the Pavement Golgappa Stall, Connaught Place Food by The Delhi Walla - July 26, 2016July 26, 20164 Street food beyond food. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] You raise it up with your naked hand, insert it into your mouth and the rest is indescribable. Great shivers run down your entire being. It is mysterious that a modestly-sized crispy shell filled with spiced potato, chickpeas and tamarind water can secrete so much pleasure. Golgappa is one of Delhi's most common street snacks. Its pavement vendors are seen wandering across the city. One evening The Delhi Walla comes across a golgappa stand in one corner of the Colonial-era Connaught Place. The seller is nowhere to be seen but his stall stands as a mute testament to the most elemental archaeology of the city's street food civilization. I’m strictly referring to all
Mission Delhi – Muhammed Mirajuddin, Outside Turkman Gate Police Chowki Mission Delhi by The Delhi Walla - July 25, 2016July 25, 20162 One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] His bicycle is not looking like a bicycle. It is decked with lamps, water bottles, flags, locks, chains, switchboards, red and black power cables, a cassette player, a car license plate, his own photograph, and a paan-daani fitted with cups that contain all the ingredients that go in the making of an addict’s betel leaf. There is also a loud speaker. One afternoon The Delhi Walla meets Muhammed Mirajuddin outside a police chowki in Turkman Gate. He has a long beard and is dressed in a white kurta pajama. Mr Mirajuddin opens his mouth, spits out the red juice of the paan on the cracked ground and moves
Atget’s Corner – 931-935, Delhi Photos Delhi Pics by The Delhi Walla - July 24, 20160 The visible city. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] Delhi is a voyeur’s paradise and The Delhi Walla also makes pictures. I take photos of people, streets, flowers, eateries, drawing rooms, tombs, landscapes, buses, colleges, Sufi shrines, trees, animals, autos, libraries, birds, courtyards, kitchens and old buildings. My archive of more than 25,000 photos showcases Delhi’s ongoing evolution. Five randomly picked pictures from this collection are regularly put up on the pages of this website. The series is named in the memory of French artist Eugène Atget (1857-1927), who, in the words of a biographer, was an “obsessed photographer determined to document every corner of Paris before it disappeared under the assault of modern improvements.” Here are Delhi photos numbered 931 to 935. 931. Near Siri Fort 932. Chirag
City Monument – Aga Khan’s Grand Heritage, Hazrat Nizamuddin Monuments by The Delhi Walla - July 22, 2016July 22, 20163 The great restoration project. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] This could be the closest thing to paradise. Here, the world is all grass and birds, air and sky. Sunflowers sway gently in the afternoon breeze. Tiny manicured gardens are laid out one after the other. Stone benches are placed discreetly behind green hedges—just the place for lovers wanting to hide from prying eyes. There are water pools, an amphitheatre and a long water channel with walkways on either side. In the distance, a kite suns itself on the dome of a small monument. The edifice looks nothing like the typical Delhi ruin—dilapidated, scarred, defaced with “love” graffiti scrawls. The ceilings and walls inside retain their beautiful original patterns, making the centuries-old
Netherfield Ball – Publisher Chiki Sarkar’s Secret Remained a Secret at Journalist Madhu Jain’s Anniversray Bash City Parties by The Delhi Walla - July 22, 2016July 22, 20160 The party secrets. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] A few of them looked adequately solemn to be practitioners of long-form journalism (see photo 8 below). One evening The Delhi Walla attended journalist Madhu Jain’s get-together at India Habitat Center. It was the anniversary of The Indian Quarterly (IQ), her highbrow magazine. While Ms Jain made admirable efforts to look joyous, publisher Chiki Sarkar of Juggernaut Books discreetly eyed for writers who could help make #JuggernautApp trend again on Twitter for at least two or three hours. This ambition explained the supporting cast of Ms Sarkar’s colleagues, the enigmatic R. Sivapriya (admired for producing page-turning English translations of long, respectful Urdu novels) and the charming Parth Mehrotra (no relation to poet Arvind Krishna
City Food – Rabri, Chandni Chowk Food by The Delhi Walla - July 21, 2016July 22, 20160 Condensed sweetness. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is sweet snow. This creamy dessert is an exception to the rule that street food is always inexpensive. In Old Delhi bylanes (think chaotic Chandni Chowk), the humble-looking pavement stalls sell a glass of rabri for 100 rupees. A small bowl of rabri is priced at 10 rupees though. Spread out in a large steel platter and covered with a transparent net to protect it from flies, rabri is as simple as a clear blue sky. It needs only two ingredients: sugar and milk, which are boiled for several hours. As the milk simmers, a layer of malai, or cream, is formed on the surface. This crust is pushed to the side to make