Mapping National Museum – The God of Wealth, 2nd Century AD
The one percenter. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The man without the shirt is dressed in an expression of great content on his face. He has an arresting moustache and a huge belly. He is Kuber, the Hindu…
100 Things To Do Before You Quit Delhi – Hang Out Amid Chirag Dilli’s Anonymous Tombs, Near Greater Kailash
The perfect Delhi experience. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Green grass is growing over one grave. A black cat is sitting on another. And the grey monsoon sky has fallen into another one—actually fresh rainwater has collected over…
City Hangout – CP @ Midnight, Connaught Place
The new night life in the shopping district. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] There they are. Just two minutes of walking through a deserted block, and you spot the party-ready midnight’s children, who confirm what one had suspected…
100 Things to Do Before You Quit Delhi – Stand Under Amaltas Trees at Midnight, Around Town
The perfect Delhi experience. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The sky is blank. The road is empty. And the yellow flowers of the Amaltas are looking like visitors from some other world. As part of The Delhi Walla’s…
City Hangout – Café Goethe, Max Mueller Bhavan
The dead place. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The wall-sized menu chart is still there on the wall. It shows the same beloved dishes–macaroni masala veg, chilli chicken with rice, muffin, and brownie. One night The Delhi Walla…
100 Things to Do Before You Quit Delhi – Night Walk, Lodhi Gardens
The perfect Delhi experience. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The tree leaves are black, the grass is orange, the ducks are wide awake, and there are very, very, very few people. As part of The Delhi Walla’s series…
100 Things to Do Before You Quit Delhi – Sky & People Watching, Indian Coffee House
The perfect Delhi experience. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The sky always changes its color. It’s just that many of us don’t ever notice it. There are so many things to do when you live in a big city like…
City Hangouts – The Secret Attic & Other Corners, Fact & Fiction Booksellers
The last days of a beloved bookstore. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The wooden floor is making creaking sounds. It is very dark. The Delhi Walla is in the attic of Fact & Fiction Booksellers in Basant Lok…
City Hangouts – Javed Khan’s Old Swiss Watches, New Markazi Market
Place of time. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] 9711052575 – This is his mobile phone number. Call him now. The extremely frail Javed Husain Khan sells second-hand Swiss watches—for a bargain. The Delhi Walla wrote about him way…
City Hangout – Ramzan Nights, Matia Mahal Bazaar
The annual blockbuster. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Picnicking year after year outside Old Delhi’s Jama Masjid during Ramzan nights is like re-reading a favourite Ghalib couplet. Everything is familiar, and yet each thing is a thrill, as…
Recent Comments