City Landmark – Old Bungalows, Patel Nagar Hangouts Landmarks by The Delhi Walla - February 1, 20240 Fading ghosts. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] The faded yellow paint of the exteriors have peeled off in many places—is probably peeling off at this moment too, while you read these words. The old paint underneath the yellow, resurfacing, has the dull pink glow of a perpetual sunset. The building seems empty. Facing the smoggy road, it stands between modern glass-grey edifices. The bungalow is a souvenir of the old Patel Nagar. The central Delhi locality is littered with similarly elegant residues of our city’s recent past. Some houses are tucked deep within the back-lanes, adorned with the the chippy floors and swirly staircases of decades-old architectural trends. A few of these look forlorn. They must be vacant, awaiting their turn
City Hangout – Braid Shopping, Chitli Qabar Bazar Hangouts by The Delhi Walla - February 1, 2024February 1, 20240 The hanging parandas. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] Bangles, rusks (they are Delhi’s best rusks!), malai wali chai, flower sehras for brides and grooms, carrot halwa (including the rare white carrot halwa), wall clocks, bullet coffee (only in winter), crockery, goat meat, jewellery, artificial jewellery, mehendi powder, nebulizer, vegetables, burqas, fish, lehengas, nihari, crisp new crackling currency notes (exchanged for torn notes), sandals, dahi bada… you name it and Old Delhi’s Chitli Qabar Bazar will have a shop selling it. The historic market also has the city’s most extensive button shop, dedicated to buttons alone. It has also shops selling parandas, or chotis, the artificial braids. These hanging parandas of Chitli Qabar are among the most arresting sights of the bazar,