City Living – So Many Delhis

It’s too varied. [Text and picture by Mayank Austen Soofi] Delhi may be a city but it is as varied as any country. “We have many Delhis,” says Rakhshanda Jalil, the author of Invisible City. “You’ve these oasis of privileges…

City Life – William Dalrymple, Bestselling Author

Delhi’s most famous expat author. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] William Dalrymple has a big paunch. When The Delhi Walla met the Delhi-based British author at his Mira Singh farmhouse off the Mehrauli-Gurgaon highway, he was lounging on…

City Resident – Santosh Puri, Central News Agency

Her kingdom, her stories. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Her talk is hardly different than that of most grandmothers – all about ‘our days, your days’. “Call me narrow-minded, but today’s newspapers carry such vulgar ads,” says Santosh…

City Reporting – Delhi High Court Legalizes Gay Sex

First comments, first reactions. [Text and picture by Mayank Austen Soofi] Shock. Disbelief. Euphoria. These were the first emotions experienced on 10.35am, July 2nd, 2009, in the jam-packed chamber one of Delhi High Court as a bench comprising Chief Justice…

City Life – A New Yorker in Mayur Vihar

An expat on the wrong side of the Yamuna. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Not all expats live in the steel bubbles of south Delhi. Meet Ms Rachel Tanzer. A New Yorker from 1993 to 2008, she is…

City Life – Evenings with Jahanara Fakeera

Strange encounters in the tomb of a woman sufi. [Text and picture by Mayank Austen Soofi] Evenings at Hazrat Nizamuddin dargah. Sometimes, too much crowd, too many tourists, and too loud qawwalis. No peace, no quiet, and no place to…