Mission Delhi – Mehreen Shah, Hazrat Nizamuddin West
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] She is in a relationship. Once, feeling dejected, she asked her new confidante: “What to do with selfish friends?” Another time, cheerful and enthusiastic, she…
City Season – Sunny Saturday, Around Town
Voices from the city. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] Happy birthday, Sandhya! The lady in white is cutting her pink cake surrounded by friends Riya and Jyoti, here in the super-packed Sunder Nursery. So many folks are crowding the central Delhi…
City Landmark – Turkman Gate, Old Delhi
The world of a living monument. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] Some beautiful places don’t have true beauty. Old Delhi’s Turkman Gate is that kind of a place. It is suffused with sadness. Take this chilly evening. A…
City Obituary – Dr. Prem Bhuttan, Old Delhi
Death of a living landmark. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] The notices in Hindi, Urdu and English are taped on the shutters: “Dr. Prem Bhuttan has died. Shop closed.” The shop refers to the clinic. A living landmark…
Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Sajjad Ahmad Banjara, Jama Masjid
The parlour confession. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] The sky is blue, the winter sun is shining, the daylight is warm. The stone staircase of Jama Masjid’s southern face is teeming with citizens. One of them is Sajjad Ahmad Banjara, attired…
City Hangout – Book Adda, Daryaganj
Alibaba’s cave. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The Oscar for Delhi’s most exciting bookstore goes to… why tell others, why share the booty? Book Adda, since 2014, is among a handful of used bookstores lining a stretch of…
City Neighbourhood – Anjuman Chowk, Old Delhi
Heart of the world. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] Anjuman Chowk is the center of the world. This belief is firmly instilled into the sensibilities of the Anjuman Chowk gentry. After all, almost all the galis that matter…
City Home – Qaiser Manzil, Old Delhi
A citizen’s inheritance. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The tangled malti vines are cascading down the high wall like a long waterfall. Scores of eensy-weensy birds are popping out of their dense foliage, looking like bubbles in the…
City Vox Popili – A Life in Daryl’s Day, Sunshine Coast, Australia
As part of The Delhi Walla series asking citizens to “write down everything you did in one day.” Send yours in 400 words max to thedelhiwallasoofi@gmail.com [Text and photo by Daryl Willmott in Sunshine Coast] Still air, warm breeze, light…
City Life – Goats in Winter, Old Delhi
The winter couture. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] When Old Delhi’s ubiquitous goats start showing up with marigold malas around their neck, one knows one is nearing Eid ul Zuha, the festival in which the animals are offered…
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