City Hangout – Tintin in Delhi, Around Town
Travails in India. [By Mayank Austen Soofi; the above photo was taken in Calcutta] Delhi has been visited by many world famous celebs. The Beatles bought a sitar in Connaught Place. Gabriel García Márquez browsed for books in Khan Market….
City Hangout – Sunday Book Bazar, Mahila Haat
Good old wine in new bottle. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The Sunday Book Bazar was closed — no thanks, Omicron! Whenever the pandemic situation eases, you have to visit the book bazar. For decades the weekly market…
City Hangout – Bird Watching, Connaught Place
The N Block flights. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is late morning. The N Block sky over Connaught Place is blue and sunny. The icy air is echoing with the peep-peep of traffic horns. Most of the…
City Hangout – Three Wild Malls, Nelson Mandela Marg
It was all acacia. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The outdoor sound system is playing soft, moody music. It could be Kenny G. Who could have thought that this desolate wilderness in south Delhi would one day be…
City Hangout – Pavement Art, Mandi House
Mystery patterns. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Circles and squares rippling with wavelets. A sphere with a labyrinth. The word ‘Aah’ drawn in calligraphic style. And many other shapes. All of these are made with white chalk on…
City Hangout – Vegetable Mandi, Near Gurgaon Railway Station
Season’s bounty. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Nothing can be taken for granted, one always knew that. The ongoing pandemic has simply made this realisation bitingly real. Just as we started to emerge out of the traumatic second…
City Hangout – Winter Evening’s Lodhi Garden, Central Delhi
Beauty in the smog. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Catch a glimpse of red lava smouldering atop a distant volcano. Well, it’s just a reflection of the evening sky on a pond. This breathtaking view, as seen from…
City Hangout – Jama Masjid Courtyard, Gurgaon
The soothing winter space. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] When one hears the words “Jama Masjid”, one instinctively thinks of Old Delhi’s Mughal-era mosque. That red sandstone monolith by Emperor Shahjahan is among the world’s greatest monuments. The…
City Hangout – Lonely Planet Store, Jackson Books, Paharganj
Travellers’ stop. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] “As well as Indian staples, you’ll find everything, from banana pancakes to pizzas, Mexican wraps and Israeli falafel… all of which can taste remarkably similar to the Indian staples. Come here…
City Hangout – Sheesh Mahal Tea House, Farash Khana
Glasses of chai. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The imperial evening in the Palace of Mirrors is already strained to begin with. And then the rebel-courtesan gets more and more mutinous in her dance. She even picks up…
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