City Library – Aanchal Malhotra’s Books, Safdarjung Enclave Library by The Delhi Walla - January 9, 2017January 9, 20170 A vanishing world. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Love books? Then envy Aanchal Malhotra. Her parents run Bahrisons Booksellers, India’s most successful independently owned bookstore. One morning The Delhi Walla enters Ms Malhotra’s book-lined home in Safdarjang Enclave. It is so different from her bookstore--so crowded with writers and yet so serene. The drawing room has hundreds of books, so does her bedroom. A paperback Keats is on the bedside table. Ms Malhotra is a tad too close to this poet. One of his most famous lines--A thing of beauty is a joy forever--is tattooed on her arm. This sensitive woman also has a thing for a tragic Russian poet whose collection of poems contains within its pages a handwritten note
City Neighborhood – The ‘Illegal’ LNJP Colony, Near 5-Star Lalit Hotel Regions by The Delhi Walla - January 4, 2017January 5, 20173 Life in the invisible city. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The place is like a kaleidoscope—the colours change swiftly. First, you are greeted by a yellow-painted brick wall. It turns pink around the corner. The next door is red. The facing wall is green. The Delhi Walla is not talking of an art installation. This is the LNJP (Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan) Colony, home to vegetable vendors and rickshaw-pullers. Anyone driving down from Connaught Place to Old Delhi can spot LNJP on the right side of the road, a few minutes after passing the five-star Lalit hotel. The colony rises like a jumble of brick structures, royally snubbing conventional architectural aesthetics. I have passed by several times but never ventured in. Reading
City Moment – Music, Food, Friends, Mobile Phone at Author Sadia Dehlvi’s Drawing Room, H. Nizamuddin East Moments by The Delhi Walla - January 2, 20172 The memorable instant. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It was the late afternoon of the last day of the last year. The drawing room was filled with guests--many of these elegant people had their eyes closed, their feet rhythmically tapping on the carpeted floor. The Delhi Walla was at author Sadia Dehlvi’s apartment in Hazrat Nizamuddin East. A classical music concert was in progress. Dhrupad singer Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar was performing along with friends. The troupe included Arman Ali, Ms Dehlvi’s musician son. “It is Arman’s birthday today,” gushed Ms Dehlvi, while taking pictures on her mobile phone. “Isn’t this a beautiful way to celebrate the year’s final day?” The concert ended after a few minutes. Ms Dehlvi, who is
City Monument – Khirki Mosque, Opposite MGF Mall, Saket Monuments by The Delhi Walla - January 2, 20173 Delhi’s romantic ruin. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] With its blackened walls, collapsed domes, and a covered hall in which natural light plays hide and seek, this is Delhi’s most romantic ruin. One of the seven mosques built in the 1370s by Khan-i-Jahan Junan Shah, prime minister to ruler Feroz Shah Tughlaq, the double-storeyed marvel got its name from the red sandstone grilled windows, or khirkis, that line its walls. A domed sloping tower guards each of the four corners. Tapering minarets flank the domed gateways at the centre of each side. The pillared hall, with 25 squares, is the highlight. A visually delicious jumble of arches and domes, it takes its dim light from the khirkis, as well as four