City Walk – Sounds of Alleys, Pahadi Imli
Going aural. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] There is no one to be seen. It is totally empty. And yet this is the same Old Delhi, that historic quarter, very picturesque — but usually so cramped and noisy….
City Walk – The Circles of Shakti Nagar, North Delhi
City islands. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is commonly assumed that nothing exciting ever happens in small towns and villages. At best, the threadbare public life centers around a tree in the square, under which folks might…
City Walk – Pandemic-Era Connaught Place, Central Delhi
Same place, different time. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Nothing has changed. The same white colonial-era columns. The same showrooms, with their immaculately dressed mannequins gazing by the glass displays. The same giggles of passersby. And wait, there…
City Walk – Gali Kebabian Street, Matia Mahal
Beyond Karim’s. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The shutters are pulled down. The doorways are closed. The place is empty. This is Karim’s, in Old Delhi. From early morning to late night, the iconic restaurant would always be…
City Walk – Corona-Era Lodhi Garden, Central Delhi
Old beauty in the new normal. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is super-crowded. Lodhi Garden. There are totas, bayas, kala papeehas, puhyas, mynas, babilas, kauwas, ullus, gaurayyas… bulbuls, koyals, the beautifully named ram chiriyas, kabutars and, of…
City Walk – Golf Course Road, Gurgaon
The way of high life. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] Hanging out in the noisy cafes, watching a movie with hundred others in the multiplex, elbowing one’s way to a metro seat… what was all that? The prolonged…
City Walk – Hauz Khas Village at Midnight, South Delhi
Sensing the village life. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] How could such a small neighbourhood have so many layers? Hauz Khas Village in South Delhi is not only known for its clubs. As well as boutiques, galleries, curio…
City Walk – E Block, Greater Kailash Enclave
Occupy South Delhi Movement. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The lanes are tidier and even the air feels less poisonous. Of course, it has to be one of those South Delhi neighbourhoods where lucky residents can live out…
City Walk – Around the Lake, Lodhi Garden
Finding truth. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Perhaps, just perhaps, some sort of Ultimate Truth can be discovered by simply walking around a lake. So suggested a great American poet. Who wouldn’t resist putting Wallace Steven’s hypothesis to…
City Walk – GB Road, Near New Delhi Railway Station
A 5 am stroll. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] A stroll through the red-light district is not everybody’s cup of tea. Definitely not so early in the winter morning when it is still dark. Even so. You could…
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