City Monument – Mrs Ghalib’s Grave, Ghalib’s Tomb
Homage to Umrao Begum. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] One hundred and fifty years after his death, Mirza Ghalib continues to be honoured by devotees who flock to his marble monument in Delhi. Nearly forgotten is the poet’s…
Mission Delhi – Dharmaraj, Kamala Nehru Park, Gurgaon
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Daily wage labourer Dharmaraj is lying flat on the grassy ground of Gurgaon’s Kamala Nehru Park in the Greater Delhi Region, his feet bare, his…
City Hangout – Lily Pond, Lodhi Gardens
Hideaway spot. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] A few flowers stand erect, fresh and alive, with not a speck of dust on their wet petals. Others, half-drowned in water, look like broken dreams. For some reason very few…
City Food – Fen, Old Delhi
Snack for all. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] At night, people in Old Delhi are said to feast on dishes like koftas and biryanis—at least in the fanciful imagination of those of us who tend to romanticise about…
Mission Delhi – Shiv Nath, Usmanpur
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] This rickshaw puller regularly clips his fingernails with great care. But the nail on his right index finger is unusually long—and for understandable reason. “I…
City Landmark – Barber Baldev Raj’s Pavement Stall, Daryaganj
A fragile landmark. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Gone is the atmospheric Afghan eatery nearby with photographs of Kabul and Kandahar on the walls. Gone is the mile-long Sunday Book Bazaar that ended at this point. And long…
Atget’s Corner – 1131-1135, 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 – Anannya Uberoi, Vikaspuri, Delhi
The 245th death. [Text and photos sent by Anannya Uberoi] Anannya Uberoi, 22, petter of alley cats, quarreler of strange bush squirrels, but otherwise a modest girl herself, rode old Charon’s ferry-boat early this morning. Like most literature-appreciating humans, she…
Mission Delhi – Bhumani, Connaught Place
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Her name is rather unusual. Bhumani. “I don’t even know its meaning,” she confesses. The fruit seller, 60, has been a familiar face of this…
City Style – The Shepherd Sartorialist, Gurgaon Railway Station
The Rajasthan elegance. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It’s easy to be extravagantly stylish. But only a few become that in a most effortless way. Such is the case with Bhairu, who seems to have jumped straight out…
Recent Comments