City Faith – Hazrat Qutub Shah Chishti’s Sufi Shrine, Outside the Election Commission of India Headquarters
A pilgrimage by an office block. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] No one’s here. It’s all as quiet as a graveyard. The very air is suffused with a profound essence of utmost peacefulness. This can be the tip…
City Life – Friends Outside Facebook, Shivji Park, Gurgaon
Offline Relationships. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is rare these days to come across folks who aren’t on Facebook. That’s why these three gentlemen sitting in a hair-cutting salon in Gurgaon’s Shivji Park seem so special. Perhaps…
City Hangout – Water Fountain, Gole Park, Windsor Place
Our home-grown Niagara Falls. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Summertime shower Summertime in Delhi can be fearsome. Those who can afford it may simply dump the city for long stretches, fleeing to hillside resort towns such as Mussoorie….
Our Self-Written Obituaries – Devika Todi, Bombay
The 233nd death. [Text and photo sent by Devika Todi] Devika Todi died while crossing the road to reach her office. An angry bull rammed into her. Her body lay all jumbled up. Her laptop was crushed. Her bag, however,…
Julia Child in Delhi – Author Sadia Dehlvi Makes the Rarely-Seen Mango Qeema, H. Nizamuddin East
The great chef’s life in Delhi. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] If you want to taste some of Delhi’s best homey non-veg dishes, then you have no choice but to plot and scheme your way to become author…
City Monument – Kashmere Gate, North Delhi
A broken dignity. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Kashmere Gate looks like a boring business indeed when first viewed from the busy street. But, take heart. Passing through the gateway’s corridor to the other side is a scene…
Our Self-Written Obituaries – Hassaan Tauseef, Islamabad, Pakistan
The 232nd death. [Text and photo sent by Hassaan Tauseef] Today, 13th April 2018, 13:12. He left. Here is the note he left. Hassaan Tauseef knew this day was different. He woke up to the smell of pines, to the…
Mission Delhi – Mukesh the Chicken, Old Delhi
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] Most chickens are probably born equal, but some are definitely more equal than others. Case in point: Consider a particular chicken named Mukesh, who is…
City Landmark – A Disappearing Doorway, Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti
A beauty from the past. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It will be a great pity to walk right past that peeling cobwebbed doorway, padlocked for years, without giving it a close second look. This is an architectural…
City Hangout – Udupi Café, Pratap Bhawan, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
A summer oasis. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The window blinds are smothering out any hint of the day, keeping the hall in a cool delicious shade. Udupi Café in Central Delhi’s ITO (Pratap Bhawan, Bahadur Shah Zafar…
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