City Moment – Steve McCurry Shoots a Goat, Somewhere in Delhi
The incredible Delhi instant. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] His eyes narrowed down to the black dog. Just as he clicked on his mobile phone camera, a man suddenly passed in front of the dog. The moment was…
City Moment – BRT Cyclists, Bhishma Pitamah Road
The much-needed cyclists. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Five young women and men are sharing three bicycles between them. One evening The Delhi Walla spots them on the tree-lined Bhishma Pitamah Road. These green bicycles are labeled ‘Delhi…
Photo Essay – Shakespeare’s World, Around Delhi
Living with the Bard. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Disclaimer: This article has stolen many phrases from the complete works of a writer who had a history of taking inspiration from people’s lives. In Sufism, the death anniversary…
City Monument – Hijron ka Khanqah, Mehrauli
Into another world. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Beautifully maintained, surprisingly serene, and almost always empty, this is a sufi spiritual retreat for hijras, or eunuchs, who beg for money by flaunting their ambiguous sexuality, and yet are…
100 Things to Do Before You Quit Delhi – Night Walk, Lodhi Gardens
The perfect Delhi experience. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The tree leaves are black, the grass is orange, the ducks are wide awake, and there are very, very, very few people. As part of The Delhi Walla’s series…
Netherfield Ball – Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan’s Book Reception, Raasta, Hauz Khas Village
The party secrets. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Hello boys, there she is. One evening The Delhi Walla spotted the famous 50 Dates girl at the launch of author Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan’s new novel, Split, at Raasta in…
Letter from Yangon – Bahadur Shah Zafar’s Tomb, Near Shwedagon Pagoda
The last Mughal’s grave. [Text and photos by Florian Morin] The tomb of Bahadur Shah Zafar, Delhi’s last Mughal emperor, is just a few hundred meters away from the Shwedagon Pagoda, the most sacred stupa in Myanmar (formerly known as…
City Moment – RV Smith’s Almirah Dream, Mayapuri
Every writer’s problem. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The drawing-room steel rack has hijacked his mind. The Delhi Walla is at the home of Ronald Vivian (RV) Smith, the city’s longtime chronicler, who is the author of many…
Mission Delhi – Kuttey Walle Baba, Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] He is known as Kuttey Walla Baba, the man with the dog. A brown dog is always seen around him. Other stray dogs, too, are…
Delhi Archives – Paan, Around Town
[Digging out old stories from The Delhi Walla] A foreign art critic visiting Delhi’s Connaught Place may be forgiven for thinking its red-splattered corridors are a form of abstract expression. Although the dirty white pillars of the colonial-era arcade were…
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