City Life - Somwar Kumar's Roadside Stove, Central Delhi

City Life – Somwar Kumar’s Roadside Stove, Central Delhi

Notes from a kitchen. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The other day, The Delhi Walla ran into Somwar Kumar encamped on the pavement in central Delhi. He’d just eaten his homemade lunch. He had cooked aloo gobhi and…

Atget’s Corner – 1076-1080, Delhi Photos

Atget’s Corner – 1076-1080, Delhi Photos

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,…

Our Self-Written Obituaries – Sromona Sabnam, Benares

Our Self-Written Obituaries – Sromona Sabnam, Benares

The 156th death. [Text by Sromona Sabnam, photos by her and Anonymous] She often said that she was slowly becoming everything but her shattered story remained untold. The ocean of unread books haunted and ultimately drowned Sromona Sabnam. She did…

City Walk - Twilight Around the Water, Hauz Khas Lake

City Walk – Twilight Around the Water, Hauz Khas Lake

A stroll around the huaz. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] These days anything even resembling a pool of water can easily inspire panic among Delhiwallas thanks to dengue mosquitoes. But December is one of our better months. The…

City Life - Chhotu's First Winter, Central Delhi

City Life – Chhotu’s First Winter, Central Delhi

A baby goat’s life. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It stands to reason that you’d want to bundle up your baby goat on a cold morning in central Delhi. It’s also obvious that The Delhi Walla would love…

Our Self-Written Obituaries – Anmol Anand, IIT Delhi

Our Self-Written Obituaries – Anmol Anand, IIT Delhi

The 155th death. [Text by Anmol Anand; photos by Pushkar Dhawale, Indrajeet Singh, Aakash Karnawat, Abhishek Keshri] A great gain to #Heaven! Anmol Anand, a #HashTag #lover, an #UrbanPlanner and a #Spiritual being with a #beautiful smile has left to…

City Obituary - Muhammed Waseem, aka Saeed Bilgarami, Ghalib Academy's Library

City Obituary – Muhammed Waseem, aka Saeed Bilgarami, Ghalib Academy’s Library

A life extraordinary. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Like any unwieldy metropolis, Delhi is full of extraordinary lives, but how many of those do we know? Take Muhammed Waseem, a homeless man who used to spend all his…

City Walk - An Unusual Route, From Barakhamba Traffic Light to Turkman Gate

City Walk – An Unusual Route, From Barakhamba Traffic Light to Turkman Gate

A contrasting world. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Let us go, you and I, when early evening splays the skies. To set forth on a surprising stroll that reveals storied wealth uneasily nudged by gross poverty. The walk…

Our Self-Written Obituaries – Anubhuti Krishna, aka Thatgirlinmuddyboots, Sector 9, Dwarka

Our Self-Written Obituaries – Anubhuti Krishna, aka Thatgirlinmuddyboots, Sector 9, Dwarka

The 154th death. [Text and photos by Anubhuti Krishna] This morning Anubhuti Krishna, aka Thatgirlinmuddyboots, was found dead in her bedroom amidst her pile of journals, ink pens, half-read books, and silver earrings. Her laptop was found beside her, her…

City Landmark - The New Bahrisons Booksellers, Gurgaon

City Landmark – The New Bahrisons Booksellers, Gurgaon

The legacy store. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Gentle winter light is falling on the bookshelves, streaming into isolated pools of dappled warmth. Here and there, boxes lay on the floor, unopened, beside piles of books waiting to…