City Life – Hawkers’ Closing Hours, Pragati Maidan Metro Station
Melancholic time of the day. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Something resembling melancholy tends to settle across the vast city in early evening when the crowded streets rapidly empty. Take, for instance, that path leading to Pragati Maidan…
City Food – Vanshas Candy Cart, Sadar Bazaar, Gurgaon
Childhood rekindled. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Some experiences belong to only premillennial childhoods. Like being able to spend, and enjoy, an entire day without the smartphone. Or, being addicted to unbranded candies, mouth fresheners and spicy churans…
Our Self-Written Obituaries – Kashiana Singh, Chicago
The 239th death. [Text and photo sent by Kashiana Singh] In leaving as in coming, Kashiana Singh left behind many monochromatic moments. She wrote down a few wishes, on checkered pages (she loved checkered notebooks)in pencilled cursive hand Carpe Diem…
Mission Delhi – Samina, Central Delhi
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] As a single mother Samina supports herself and her baby, Sufiyan, by begging. And with some success. “I’m earning enough to at least have rotis…
City Monument – Overlooked Ruin, Lodhi Gardens
Unknown gateway. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] This gorgeous ruin bathed in beauty lies totally ignored in Lodhi Gardens as an unsung monument. The centuries-old Mughal-era building is believed to be the remains of a gateway that once…
City Hangout – Bougainvillea’s Shaving Stall, Chelmsford Road
Barber’s paradise. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Pavement shaving stalls are just about everywhere in Delhi—unlike western cities where the tradition has died out. These are patronised, among others, by a vast populace of hardworking male migrants who…
Mission Delhi – Son Pal, Around Town
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] With that glowing white beard and sparkling eyes he could easily be mistaken for some latter-day Tagore or Tolstoy. “You mean I look like a…
City Hangout – Ramlila Maidan, Central Delhi
The empty quarter. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The 2019 general elections are over. The iconic Ramlila Maidan, famous for its rallies, is free to be explored. The last big gathering it hosted was a campaign speech by…
City Landmark – Subhan Factory Dry Cleaners, Old Delhi
Connecting present to past. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Although Old Delhi’s history stretches far back into 16th century, its oldest surviving laundry service is curiously recent. Founded in 1922, the Subhan Factory is surprisingly spacious in the…
City Nature – Alternative Roses, Gurgaon
Beauty without bloom. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] This is not the best season for roses. Not even at the rose garden in Gurgaon’s Sector 15A in the National Capital Region. And that’s why you ought to drop…
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