City Faith – Hazrat Nizamuddin’s Chilla, Central Delhi
A Sufi shelter. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It’s an escapist’s paradise. The chillah, or retreat, of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya is one of Delhi’s most serene monuments. Here, the city’s iconic 14th century sufi saint lived, meditated, and…
Mission Delhi – Raju, Bapu Niwas
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] This small house is all he knows of MK Gandhi. “That takhat,” says Raju, pointing to a wooden bed, “is Gandhiji’s vishram-asan on which he…
City Landmark – Stein’s Architecture, India Habitat Centre
A work of art. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It’s like a beautiful art mural shattered into pieces. This is actually the building’s multitudinous ceiling panels reflecting off the water puddles. It just stopped raining here at the…
City Moment – A Friendly Surprise, Gurgaon
The memorable instant. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Can you survive daily life without friendship? Not having even a single friend? Prakash Swami can. “I have no friend,” he says in a friendly tone. In his early 40s,…
City Food – Patate al Forno, Ajay Guest House, Paharganj
So not Delhi. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] This is for aloo aficionados. This dish, for once, is not deep-fried in oil. The patate al forno (210 rupees)—Italian baked potato—at Ajay Guest House is a relief from Delhi’s…
Mission Delhi – Kishen Pal, Central Delhi
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Kishen Pal is a determined citizen. Losing his arm in a 1990 accident, he was no longer able to work as a truck driver. Instead…
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…
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