City Faith – Sufi shrine, Redeveloped Central Vista
First day in the new Central Vista. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] This Sufi shrine tucked in the Central Vista lawns, close to Janpath Road, used to be a little island in the pond. Circled with trees, it…
City Faith – Mandir Chaurasi Ghanta, Seetaram Bazar
A temple with sound. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Tnnnnm. The sound at first has a sharp tone, and then wafts around the air, growing softer and calmer, passing along like a light breeze. After that it rushes…
City Faith – Hazrat Amir Khusro’s 718th Urs, Hazrat Nizamuddin Sufi Shrine
Commemorating a legend. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] This should start with one of his paheliyan, or riddles. “Invisible, but they call it tender Feels bad, but it evokes laughter” A tickle! Today is the 718th Urs —…
City Faith – Pracheen Shiv Mandir, Daryaganj
A barely known temple. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The scenes outside are passing in a blur. All you can see are lights flashing on the glass window. It’s like sitting in a super-fast Shatabdi. But this isn’t…
City Faith – Tree God, Hanuman Temple
Sacred green. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] This small Hanuman temple stands in a sprawling yard, here in south Delhi. A peepal tree’s sharp-tipped leaves make a jungle of shadows on the temple’s back wall. But the compound…
City Faith – Lockdown Ramzan, Jama Masjid, Gurgaon
A world in pandemic. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] The forever-optimistic Nashir Ahmed Khan in gloom? Impossible, you would think. But the second surge in the coronavirus pandemic has changed everything. “I’m badhal (in bad shape),” he says,…
City Faith – Hazrat Madni Shah Baba, Near Jama Masjid
A shrine’s best-kept secret. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It’s one of the lesser known shrines of the capital and it is tucked within… oh well, another lesser known shrine. The historic graves of Hazrat Sarmad Shahid and…
City Faith – Hara Mandir, Gali Choori Wallan
Faith in green. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The temple is immersed in utmost quietude, so much so that you feel that if you concentrate enough, you might hear Devi Durga breathe. Attired in an orange fabric, her…
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 Faith – Free Church, Green Park
Souvenirs of Christmas. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Encountering a collection of decorations after the event they were meant to celebrate is over presents a poignant sight. Like, the morning after the wedding. Or the day/s after Christmas,…
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