City Neighbourhood – Sarai Kale Khan, Across Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station
The sarai beyond the station. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] For many Delhiwallas, Hazrat Nizamuddin station is the place to go to when they have to board the Bombay-bound August Kranti Rajdhani Express. Or, when midnight hunger pangs…
City Hangout – Chapter 101 Bookshop, South Point Mall, Gurgaon
The first edition paradise. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Next time some snob dismisses the world beyond Kapashera border as an all-mall-no-mind destination, tell that fellow to get lost in Gurgaon’s South Point Mall. The glass-walled shopping complex…
City Hangout – The Sheetla Mata Temple Grounds, Old Gurgaon
The soothing secretive corner. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Some places are like a laidback piece of music that initially leaves you indifferent but soon enough, even before you realize it, you are humming its tunes in the…
City Hangout – Ranji Jhansi Park, Mehrauli
A dreamworld of grass and ruins. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It isn’t every day new parks in Delhi make their debut. But this setup in South Delhi’s Mehrauli village frankly feels like a little Lodhi Garden next…
City Hangout – Monsoon Bucket List, Around Town
Best rainy day places. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] A little tap on the window-pane, as though something had struck it, followed by a plentiful light falling sound, as of grains of sand being sprinkled from a window…
City Hangout – Cyberwalks, DLF Cybercity
An unusual bridge. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The soaring hills of concrete look like a Hindu Kush range of their own kind, their walls glinting under the sunlight like snow-capped mountain summits. A highrise’s window cleaners, harnessed…
City Hangout – Moinuddin’s Chai Stall by the Tomb, Turkman Gate Bazaar
Tea by the tomb. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Ever since tea was discovered – a very long time ago – connoisseurs have conjured all manner of enticing environments for serving this favourite drink. Perhaps in a luxury…
City Hangout – Buddha’s Pond, Buddha Garden
The path of utmost happiness. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] All pathways, it seems, lead to Buddha. Which is a trifle ironic, since Buddha once suggested there is no path to happiness. “Happiness is the way,” he declared,…
City Hangout – Lhasa Restaurant, Ramesh market
Somewhere in Tibet. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It has the charm of an improvised restaurant. As if a mother decided to turn the family drawing room into a part-time eatery one morning. Actually, that’s true up to…
City Hangout – a Beautiful Staircase, Janpath Market
Romancing the stairs. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Grand old staircases haven’t yet suffered the fate of the bird dodo — extinction — but they are few and far between. Elevators and escalators are gradually taking over, downgrading…
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