Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Dhruv Sangari-Bilal Chishty, Jangpura

Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Dhruv Sangari-Bilal Chishty, Jangpura

The parlour confession. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] He is special. Not only for being an acclaimed Sufi musician but because he is our living link to the great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Dhruv Sangari-Bilal Chishty trained under…

Mission Delhi - Pooran Chandra Melkani, Paharganj

Mission Delhi – Pooran Chandra Melkani, Paharganj

One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Lamps are off. Tables are empty. Old posters on the wall are showing photos of Buddha and Benares, palak paneer and vegetable burger, etc. A…

City Life - Fire-Side Memoirs, Roshan Pura

City Life – Fire-Side Memoirs, Roshan Pura

Finding old times. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is a cold late afternoon. Four labourers are sitting around a makeshift fire they have lit up from a pile of wooden planks. Two of them are in their…

City Faith - Shiv Prajapati Mandir, Near New Delhi Railway Station

City Faith – Shiv Prajapati Mandir, Near New Delhi Railway Station

A wayside shrine. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] This is the Capital’s super-congested heart, next to the New Delhi railway station. Outside, the road is clogged with cars and autos and the pavement packed with purpose-filled masked humans….

City Walk - Signature Chowk Bridge, Gurgaon

City Walk – Signature Chowk Bridge, Gurgaon

Beyond the practical utility. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Open sky. Nobody. Just you and your solitude, and a quiet walk mid-air. Footover bridges are among the most escapist places of a city, especially when suspended in places…