City Landmark – Delhi Photo Company, Janpath
1937-2010. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] The other afternoon The Delhi Walla was walking in Janpath, Connaught Place. Reaching in front of an old landmark, I stood with amazement and then I laughed. What used to be Delhi…
City Secret – LPs & Album Covers, Meena Bazaar
The old world melodies. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Overshadowed by Old Delhi’s Jama Masjid, amidst scampering goats and the air redolent with the smell of milky chai and mutton curry, stands a nondescript shop. The unimpressive exterior…
City Landmark – Kake Da Hotel is History
The legendary eatery downs shutters. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Opened in 1931, the legendary Kake Da Hotel in Municipal Market, Connaught Place, shut down on July 12, 2010. The next day the window face of the eatery,…
City Landmark – The Book Shop, Jor Bagh & Khan Market
The death and life of a bookstore. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] In my dream, I find myself outside Khan Market’s The Book Shop. I was told it had shut down in 2006 and that there’s a Swarovski…
City Landmark – My Bar, Paharganj
Cheap but with character. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] They are a rare sight. Roshni Kapoor, a post-grad student of international relations, and Priya Bhattacharji, an advertising professional, are the only two Indian girls in My Bar. It…
City Landmark – Rajiv Gandhi Setu, Ring Road
An urban refuge. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] A smoggy traffic square that was once dreaded by commuters for its long jams has become an unlikely urban haven. On one grassy slope, a group of women is playing…
City Landmark – Chanakya Cinema, 1970-2007
1970-2007 [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Last night, at 9:45 pm, I dreamt I went to Chanakya again. It seemed to me I stood by the box office that sells Rs. 30 front stall tickets, and for a…
City Monument – Birla Temple, Mandir Marg
The land of Vishnu. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Spread over seven acres, Shri Lakshmi Narain temple, popularly called Birla Mandir, is a dense neighbourhood of gods. A world in itself, it is a land of plenty. It…
City Secret – Razia Sultana’s Tomb, Pahari Bhojla
India’s first woman ruler is sleeping here. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Razia Sultana’s tomb chamber in Old Delhi. No dome, no crowd here. This is no place for a queen. As the first woman ruler of the…
City Cinemas – SRS, JAM, BIG, MMX, G3S
The PVRisation of film halls. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] DU, DUSU, CP, SN, DDLJ, GK1, RTI, SRK, SEZ, HC, SC, PMO, K3G… intimidated by acronyms and abbreviations? Try reading the schedule of city’s cinema halls in the…
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