City Landmark – Old Well, Hauz Khas Village
A souvenir with living memories. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] They are known for their restaurants and boutiques, their lake view rooftops and their loud music. But the lanes of Delhi’s HKV, the fashionable Hauz Khas Village, have…
City Landmark – Sapru House, Barakhamba Road
Of post-independent history. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] A dome that’s like a Buddhist stupa. Pillars resembling those at ancient Hindu temples. Designs on the gateway inspired by Islamic monuments. This red-and-white sandstone edifice is permeated with the…
Mission Delhi – Immortal Rooster, Chitli Qabar Chowk
One of the one percent in 13 million. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] Times change. But things remain. Just like Old Delhi’s nameless but immortal rooster. Until before the pandemic arrived in early 2020, this rooster’s world had an unremarkable routine….
City Walk – Golf Course Road, Gurgaon
Nuances of disparity. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] High-rises so tall that sometimes clouds waft around the upper floor windows. In malls, you hear a babble of foreign accents. Sleek coaches of the Rapid Metro show up frequently…
City Food – Radhe Radhe Karhi Chawal Wale, Anand Vihar
Cabbie’s meal. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] He gave up his career as a cab driver. But his white cab remains a necessary element of his new career. Vikas Sharma started his pavement lunch stall two weeks ago….
Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Gulesh Chauhan, On the Road
The parlour confession. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] Almost everyone in Ghaziabad’s Karkar village can tell you the directions to her house, she says. Gulesh Chauhan is admired in her neighbourhood as the woman who drives an Uber cab in the…
City Hangout – Winter Evening’s Lodhi Garden, Central Delhi
Beauty in the smog. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Catch a glimpse of red lava smouldering atop a distant volcano. Well, it’s just a reflection of the evening sky on a pond. This breathtaking view, as seen from…
City Hangout – Jama Masjid Courtyard, Gurgaon
The soothing winter space. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] When one hears the words “Jama Masjid”, one instinctively thinks of Old Delhi’s Mughal-era mosque. That red sandstone monolith by Emperor Shahjahan is among the world’s greatest monuments. The…
City Hangout – Lonely Planet Store, Jackson Books, Paharganj
Travellers’ stop. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] “As well as Indian staples, you’ll find everything, from banana pancakes to pizzas, Mexican wraps and Israeli falafel… all of which can taste remarkably similar to the Indian staples. Come here…
City Monument – Masjid Mubarak Begum, Chawri Bazar
Like a wounded fairy tale. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is among Delhi’s most melancholic souvenirs. One of the domes no longer exists. The missing portion is wrapped in a blue tarpaulin, like a makeshift bandage on…
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