City Walk - Hauz Khas Village at Midnight, South Delhi

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

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

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

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…

City Walk - Window Watching, Old Delhi

City Walk – Window Watching, Old Delhi

Up views. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The truth is this: Historic Old Delhi can be frustrating for outsiders. Amid all the monuments and bazaars, how do you go about detecting the domestic world of locals getting on…

City Walk - 5 am Stroll, Baba Kharak Singh Marg

City Walk – 5 am Stroll, Baba Kharak Singh Marg

Early morn world. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] There’s something surreal about cold season mornings when the dark light feels like midnight. The clock just struck about five. The November air is veiled in mistiness. Or is that…

City Walk - The Lane to Cornwallis Colony, Central Delhi

City Walk – The Lane to Cornwallis Colony, Central Delhi

The colonial-era way. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Most British-built neighbourhoods, avenues and streets in our fair city of Delhi have been stripped of their original English names. (Goodbye colonialism!) Post-Independence rulers made certain that Curzon Road, for…

City Walk - Strolling With Twilight in Delhi, Old Delhi

City Walk – Strolling With Twilight in Delhi, Old Delhi

A good walking guide. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It’s customary for people to walk through their city’s historic quarters while holding on to informative guidebooks. Delhi is blessed to have inspired many fine novels and these works…

City Walk - Hauz Rani, South Delhi

City Walk – Hauz Rani, South Delhi

Signs of a locality. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] At first glance, this South Delhi village seems very unremarkable as a cluster of ordinary lanes and dwellings. But like so much else in Delhi, Hauz Rani reveals its…

City Walk - A Lane in Jacoobpura, Gurgaon

City Walk – A Lane in Jacoobpura, Gurgaon

Another country. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] This is a sudden dive into peacefulness. As if you have not entered into a mere lane but a region of light and void and silence. The very air feels on…