City Hangout – Matkaman’s Water Point, Panchsheel Park
Art for water’s sake. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Here’s a place to briefly escape from all the negativity. This refuge is by a busy road, on a pavement in south Delhi’s Panchsheel Park. The seat is… an…
City Hangout – Ebony Cafe, Pai Walan, Jama Masjid
Paris in Purani Dilli. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] In Paris, you have your cappuccino in front of Notre-Dame. In Delhi, it has recently become possible to enjoy a cappuccino — and not just sweet milky chai —…
City Hangout – Vasudev’s Tea Stall, Hauz Khas Village
Chai with kindness. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The night is cold. Vasudev has rustled out a small fire from wooden twigs he picked up from the pavement. Dressed in cap and woollen overcoat, he is fortifying himself…
City Hangout – Hyperlocal Notepads, Daryaganj
Being elegantly pretentious. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Spending the afternoon in a cool cafe and being seen with a sleek laptop, or better still, with one of those elegant writing pads, is certainly the most sophisticated kind…
City Hangout – Cafe Karvaan, Abul Fazal Part 1
The river-side haven. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Is it Volga or Thames, Nile or Seine? What is this watery world? With bits of dry land jutting out here and there, the landscape looks like a vast archipelago….
City Hangout – Train Spotting, The Bridge Upon the New Delhi Railway Station
The pandemic-era thrill of travel. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Some trains are moving. Some trains are still. A few passengers here and there, walking with their suitcases and kids. And suddenly, a rail engine whistles. The sounds…
City Hangout – Arpit Kakar’s Staircase Tea, Daryaganj
An extraordinary chai stall. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Arpit Kakar always has trouble getting home. Ever since he set up a tea stall by filling up his staircase with everything from boxes of tea leaves to a…
City Hangout – Modern Tea Stall, Haveli Azam Khan Street
The place after the pandemic. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Old Delhi’s tea stalls make very milky and sweet chai. The venerable Modern Tea Stall with its not-so-modern wooden chairs and chipped china is different. Its tea is…
City Hangout – Yasin Plaza, Sadar Bazaar, Gurgaon
The joys of signage art. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Here’s a delicious assault of the shop signages. New Fashion House has “parde hi parde,” boasting a great choice of curtains. Sudhiksha Beauty Parlour also happens to be…
City Hangout – Joseph Stein’s Magical Terrace, Triveni Kala Sangam
The architecture of shadows. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Look carefully. The building is changing with the progress of the day. The roof expands as the sun moves. You feel its gradual shifting. The outer edges seem to…
Recent Comments