Delhi’s artsy cafes. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] There is acres of space between the restaurant tables, making each one its own little universe — art students economize by sharing a few snacks, the NGO activists bemoan the…
The Proustian self-introspection. [By The Delhi Proustians] The Proust Questionnaire represents a form of interview that owes its structure to answers given by French novelist Marcel Proust, the author of In Search of Lost Time, at two birthday parties that…
Made in London. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] This little steam engine looks like a toy, but it is real and has a name – MTR No. 1. The maroon locomotive in central Delhi’s India Gate circle has…
The winter’s tale. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] One freezing December morning the unthinkable happened. Jama Masjid vanished. The Delhi Walla tried hard to look for the grand Mughal-era mosque but it had left the city. Shivering with…
On turning 100. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Of course you have read this book. But not everybody is like you. Apparently a large part of the world is scared of Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time,…
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] An amateur musician, he is sitting silently on the stairs. The Delhi Walla meets Madhusudan Srivastava in an apartment complex in suburban Vasundhra. “My friend…
Travails in India. [By Mayank Austen Soofi; the above photo was taken in Calcutta] Tintin has been to Delhi. A creation of Belgian cartoonist Hergé, the famous reporter-adventurer has traveled across the world, including India. Sadly, the red-haired hero and…
The long walk to freedom. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] In July 2009, the Delhi High Court legalized gay sex among consenting adults. In December 2013, India’s Supreme Court turned down that progressive and just verdict, reinstating a…
Homosexuality in the capital. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] In December 2013, India’s Supreme Court pronounced that gay sex is illegal. It has been a long journey for gay people in Delhi and across the country. “Looking for…
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