City Monuments – H.A. Mirza & Sons Postcards, Muslim & British Delhi
The beautiful untruths. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] The fragmented past lives on in memories. Sometimes it gets marinated in more tangible objects. In the early decades of 20th century, the photo studio of H.A. Mirza & Sons in Chandni Chowk,…
Delhi’s Bandaged Heart – Ishan Marvel & Aleksandr Pushkin, Mandi House
Poetry in the city. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The Delhi Walla met poet Ishan Marvel outside Regal Cinema in early 2015. That evening he had shared his poem ‘My City is…’ with us. I meet Mr Marvel…
Delhi Archives – Nainital, North of Delhi
[Digging out old stories from The Delhi Walla] At a height of 1,938m, giddy tourists gratify themselves by boating on the lake, riding the ropeway trolley and shopping on Mall Road. That’s Nainital, the hill station in Uttarakhand’s Kumaon region,…
City Obituary – Ghantewala Confectioners (1790-2015), Chandni Chowk
Rest in peace. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone. Prevent the cat from mewing with a juicy bone. It’s dead, it’s dead. The iconic Mughal-era mithai shop Ghantewala in Chandni Chowk…
Our Self-Written Obituaries – Vivek Tejuja, Bangalore
The 86th death. [Text by Vivek Tejuja; photo by Unknown] His relationships were a mess. He lived like that, always fleeting – a man this time, another the next time and then there was no stopping. At the end of…
City Food – Wimpy Burgers, Aurobindo Market
The taste of yesterday. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Until October 13 1996, when the golden arches were first raised in the city (in Basant Lok Market), we Delhiwallas were McDonald’s virgins. You can still make a return…
Mission Delhi – Geeta Devi, Good Earth, Khan Market
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] “Hello sir,” she warmly greets the man as he steps into the shop. Geeta Devi is probably Delhi’s only woman doorman. The Delhi Walla meets…
Atget’s Corner – 831-835, 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 – Shibani Bedi, Kailash Colony
The 85th death. [Text by Shibani Bedi; photo by Sonam Sharma] Here lies Shibani Bedi, sprawled between her achievements and regrets. Her most common refrain was: “I feel like a life less lived, lost in the universe, trapped in non-conformist…
Netherfield Ball – Colors of Life-15 Bash, India Habitat Center
The party secrets. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Are rules beginning to relax? Delhi’s art world is opening to the idea of samosas with unlimited beer. One breezy evening The Delhi Walla attended the inaugural bash of Colors…
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