City Hangout - Theater Traffic Circle, Mandi House

City Hangout – Theater Traffic Circle, Mandi House

An unusual playhouse. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] A handful of traffic circles in central Delhi have become something more than just that. The circle on Janpath is a sprawling garden with trees teeming with bats. While another…

City Food - Proust's Madeleine Cake, Around Town

City Food – Proust’s Madeleine Cake, Around Town

Experiencing a great novel. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Do you like the madeleine? The little cake makes for the most important scene in In Search of Lost Time, a novel by French author Marcel Proust that is…

Our Self-Written Obituaries – Vinitta Mathew, Trivandrum, Kerala

Our Self-Written Obituaries – Vinitta Mathew, Trivandrum, Kerala

The 242nd death. [Text and photos sent by Vinitta Mathew] She left in haste from this serendipitous encounter with life. A twisted misanthrope, she bled poems for a week every month. Storyteller par excellence, Vinitta Mathew overdosed on love and…

Mission Delhi - Muhammed Shamim, Central Delhi

Mission Delhi – Muhammed Shamim, Central Delhi

One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The life of paan seller Muhammed Shamim has been touched by a very long and beautiful friendship. “I’m talking about Shahid,” with whom he grew…

Home Sweet Home - Rooftop Views, Mehrauli

Home Sweet Home – Rooftop Views, Mehrauli

The story of a home. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It’s hard to imagine getting a better sense of Delhi than by viewing it from on high. And particularly a panoramic view of a favoured neighbourhood like Mehrauli….

City Hangout - Plane Spotting, Vasant Vihar

City Hangout – Plane Spotting, Vasant Vihar

Air-borne thrills. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] One’s heart goes out to the rich people of Vasant Vihar. There’s so much noise pollution in the genteel south Delhi enclave crammed with gracious bungalows and apartments. The very air…

Our Self-Written Obituaries – Siddhartha Singh, Vaishali, Delhi Region

Our Self-Written Obituaries – Siddhartha Singh, Vaishali, Delhi Region

The 241st death. [Text and photo sent by Siddhartha Singh] He died at 49, just sort of half a century of something he hoped was worth something. Siddhartha Singh was a prolific poet, but not a penny richer or smarter…

Mission Delhi - Rekha, Gurgaon Railway Station

Mission Delhi – Rekha, Gurgaon Railway Station

One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Rekha and Ghukkar are a long-time couple. Both are labourers in the Millennium City of Gurgaon in the Delhi region. “Today is our off,” says…

City Heritage - The History of Daryaganj's Sunday Book Bazaar, Central Delhi

City Heritage – The History of Daryaganj’s Sunday Book Bazaar, Central Delhi

History of a historic hangout. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Yes, it was dusty and crowded, and it was difficult to weave your way through the great mass of sweating people. But it was one of the most…

Mission Delhi - Roop Chand Rekwar, Connaught Place

Mission Delhi – Roop Chand Rekwar, Connaught Place

One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Like so many other Delhiites, Roop Chand Rekwar has very long hours. Arising at 5:30 am almost every day, he leaves home in Narela very…