City Season - Delhi Winter, Around Town

City Season – Delhi Winter, Around Town

Summer nostalgia. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Everybody whom I know in my city, Delhi, is looking happy. Their reason is the same. Winter season has begun. Just why do we Indians cherish winter so much when essentially…

Mission Delhi - Vipin, Gurgaon

Mission Delhi – Vipin, Gurgaon

One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] A doctor has his stethoscope, a painter his brush, a writer his iPhone. And swaddled in an off-white head cloth and mud-covered T-shirt and shorts…

City Style - The Punk Sufi, South Delhi

City Style – The Punk Sufi, South Delhi

Style in the city. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Sitting alone on this South Delhi pavement, Muhammed Zaman’s fingers are adorned with all sorts of stones, including cool-looking plastic rings that are shaped into human skulls. His arms…

City Monument - Unknown Tomb, Mathura Road Graveyard

City Monument – Unknown Tomb, Mathura Road Graveyard

The god of small things. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] In a city of formidable-looking monuments raised by megalomaniac despots, it is still possible to find beauty in small, obscure relics. The unknown tomb lies in a graveyard…

Our Self-Written Obituaries – Anjali Dhananjayan, Chennai

Our Self-Written Obituaries – Anjali Dhananjayan, Chennai

The 209th death. [Text and photos sent by Anjali Dhananjayan] Anjali Dhananjayan, a confused journalist, escaped this mortal realm on Sunday, August 8, 2100. She leaves behind 2 golden retrievers, 3 soul mates and a huge pot of butter chicken….

City Walk - Bucharest Marg, Vasant Vihar

City Walk – Bucharest Marg, Vasant Vihar

In Romania, without the visa. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Shiny limousines abound in Vasant Vihar where countless embassies of little nations have comfortably parked themselves in fortress-like bungalows. You wouldn’t be wrong in thinking that this genteel…

City Landmark - Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya's Face, National Museum

City Landmark – Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s Face, National Museum

Sufi faces. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The shrine of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi is one of the most important Sufi shrines in the world. Not only does it attracts Sufi pilgrims and devotees from everywhere, it…

City Hangout - The Heart-Break Destination, Buddha Gardens

City Hangout – The Heart-Break Destination, Buddha Gardens

After falling out of love. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Here is a place for those who have just broken up with their lovers, whose hearts are heavy with sorrow, and who want to pamper that mood. It…

Our Self-Written Obituaries – Vandana Trivedi, Bombay

Our Self-Written Obituaries – Vandana Trivedi, Bombay

The 208th death. [Text and photos sent by Vandana Trivedi ] Vandana Trivedi is someone you all knew well. You will remember her as a woman symbolizing energy and inspiration. A confident woman, who could take on the world. An…

Home Sweet Home - A Home Without a House, North Delhi

Home Sweet Home – A Home Without a House, North Delhi

Family possessions. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is morning and he is home alone. “My wife has gone with our son to the public toilet… it will take her an hour to come back… she’ll also be…