Netherfield Ball – Moin & Fatima’s Walima, Daryaganj
The party secrets. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] One evening The Delhi Walla gatecrashed into the women-only zenana section of a wedding dinner held in Old Delhi’s Daryaganj. Moin Ahmad Alvi had married Syeda Seemver Fatima the night…
Our Self-Written Obituaries – Vivek Malik, Sector 45, Gurgaon
The 100th death. [Text by Vivek Malik (second from left); photo by Vikas Rathi] Vivek Malik, a middle-level media professional, died last night during a small party he had thrown on his rented rooftop residence in Sector 45, Gurgaon. Mr…
City Landmark – Nehru’s Red Rose, Teen Murti Bhawan
The Prime Minister’s flower. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] Both Jawaharlal Nehru and Babur shared a passion for the rose. The first Mughal emperor not only composed a poem on gul, Persian for rose, but also made sure…
Atget’s Corner – 866-870, 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,…
City Food – Hello to the Queen, Ajay Guest House, Paharganj
The backpackers’ fantasy. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is the most curiously named dessert to be found in Delhi. The decadent Hello to the Queen is available only in a few places in the capital. The Delhi…
Mission Delhi – Devi, Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The elderly woman is walking alone with three bags this afternoon. One in her hand, two on her back. One of the bags is actually…
Delhi Metro – Nikhil Kumar’s Commute With Vikram Seth, Barakhamba Metro Station
The book lover’s commute. [Photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Nikhil Kumar is interested in history and politics. He lives in Sector 10, Dwarka. And he read the whole of Vikram Seth’s novel A Suitable Boy while commuting on the Delhi…
Delhi’s Bandaged Heart – Ram Chander Bhakt, Mathura Road
Poetry in the city. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] One evening The Delhi Walla arranged to meet Hindi poet Ram Chander Bhakt on Mathura Road in Central Delhi. Mr Bhakt makes his living as an auto-rickshaw driver. I…
City Monument – Restored Edition, Hazrat Sarmad Shahid’s and Hazrat Hare Bhare Shah’s Sufi Shrines
New look, old mood. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Each of the two tombs is now surrounded by a grille of white marble. The floor has been laid with smoother tiles. These are among the new attractions. The…
City List – New & Old Road Names, Around Town
On the margs [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Dalhousie Road and Aurangzeb Road, rest in peace. In February 2017, the New Delhi Municipal Council renamed Dalhousie Road as Dara Shikoh Road. Lord Dalhousie was a colonial-era administrator in…
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