City List - Foodies of the World, Hauz Khas Village

City List – Foodies of the World, Hauz Khas Village

The hungry villagers. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] If a First World foreigner is airlifted from her land straight into Hauz Khas Village, she will find it next to impossible to believe it is Delhi’s coolest hangout. The…

Mission Delhi - Muhammed Irfan Qureshi, Turkman Gate

Mission Delhi – Muhammed Irfan Qureshi, Turkman Gate

One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] He sits in his blood-stained jeans, surrounded by chunks of meat hanging from hooks, and holds up his bloodied hands like a trophy. Next to…

Netherfield Ball – Power Couple Ananya Vajpeyi and Basharat Peer & Former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, India International Center

Netherfield Ball – Power Couple Ananya Vajpeyi and Basharat Peer & Former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, India International Center

The party secrets. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Most people looked grave enough to pass off as authors. The curly-haired Vinay Sitapati was not one of them (see photo 3 below). He looked like an author only on…

City Moment - Two Women Bikers in Late Night Delhi,  Bhishma Pitamah Marg

City Moment – Two Women Bikers in Late Night Delhi, Bhishma Pitamah Marg

The memorable instant. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] A most unexpected thing happened on Central Delhi’s Bhishma Pitamah Marg one late night. Two young women stopped their bike abruptly on spotting The Delhi Walla‘s camera and demanded to…

City List – The 20 Lovely Shop Assistants of The Book Shop in Jorbagh

City List – The 20 Lovely Shop Assistants of The Book Shop in Jorbagh

You are remembered. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] A nice bookstore is cherished not only for its collection of books and its charming owners, but also for its friendly shop assistants. Since the time it was founded by…

City Notice - Catherine Lama is Dead, Lodhi Road

City Notice – Catherine Lama is Dead, Lodhi Road

The passing away of a beautiful woman. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Catherine Lama, who always wore a red rose in her hair and who lived on a Delhi pavement, died in June 2016. There was no certainty…

Julia Child in Delhi – Liter Basar Makes Cordon Bleu's Brioche, Hazrat Nizamuddin East

Julia Child in Delhi – Liter Basar Makes Cordon Bleu’s Brioche, Hazrat Nizamuddin East

The great chef’s life in Delhi. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] This is the closest The Delhi Walla could get to the legendary author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I’m standing within a touching distance of…

Mission Delhi – Amar Jyoti, Outside Humayun's Tomb

Mission Delhi – Amar Jyoti, Outside Humayun’s Tomb

One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The rickshaw stops besides the pavement stand of a golgappa vendor. The passenger, a frail elderly woman in a crumpled night gown, remains seated. The…

City Hangout - CP @ Midnight, Connaught Place

City Hangout – CP @ Midnight, Connaught Place

The new night life in the shopping district. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] There they are. Just two minutes of walking through a deserted block, and you spot the party-ready midnight’s children, who confirm what one had suspected…

City Faith - Ramzan Banquet, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya's Sufi Shrine

City Faith – Ramzan Banquet, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s Sufi Shrine

Sacred meal. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The tiled floor has got a new pattern. It is carpeted with hundreds of paper plates. Each plate is filled with sliced fruits and a piece of fried kachori. The Delhi…