Mission Delhi – Sultan, Turkman Gate
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] He is standing quietly on a stationery scooter. The Delhi Walla approaches him. The scooter is parked in an alley in Turkman Gate, a congested…
Mission Delhi – Ram Dulare, Parliament Street
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Sitting beside a basket filled with lemons, he is twirling up his white mustache. The Delhi Walla meets Ram Dulare, 81, on Parliament Street. He…
Mission Delhi – Mumtaz Begum, Panj Peeran Graveyard
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] She appears to be sleeping. The Delhi Walla is with Mumtaz Begum. We are in a windowless room in Nizamuddin Basti, a village in central…
Mission Delhi – Muhammed Anwar, Hazrat Nizamuddin Chilla
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The elderly fakir has always felt a sense of peace living year after year alongside a graveyard in the Sufi shelter of Hazrat Nizamuddin’s Chilla….
Mission Delhi – Ugen Tashi Bhutia, Turqoise Cottage
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Taking a sip of beer, Ugen Tashi Bhutia, says, “Although my hometown falls in Bengal, I individually identify myself with Darjeeling alone. When people like…
Mission Delhi – The Silent Woman, Mausam Bhawan Bus Shelter
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Her eyes are closed. The Delhi Walla meets her at the Mausam Bhawan bus shelter on Lodhi Road. The woman has occupied a corner of…
Mission Delhi – Mohammed Usman, Netaji Subhash Marg
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Opening his wallet and resting his finger on a photo, he says, “That’s Khushbu Khatoon, my oldest child. She is eight. That’s Mohammed Raja, my…
Mission Delhi – Mother, Turkman Gate
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] She is mumbling something to herself. The Delhi Walla meets her one morning on a congested lane near Turkman Gate, one of the four surviving…
Mission Delhi – Lobsang Dorji Hayer, Majnu ka Teela
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Drawing himself forward, he says, “On my passport, I’m an Indian because my father is from Himanchal Pradesh, but my heart beats for Tibet.” The…
Mission Delhi – Bimal, K.K. Birla Lane
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] No birds in the sandy sky. The previous day Delhi recorded the highest temperature for the season. “If it gets very hot, I feel tempted…
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