The lane of kebab makers. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] People step into this lane for nihari and biryani, for burra and korma—all to be had at the “world-famous” Karim’s restaurant. Those in the know wade deeper, to…
Snack pilgrimage. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Is the best Paris-Brest in Paris? Is the best Mysore masala dosa in Mysore? Is the best Modi Nagar ki mashoor danedar shikanji in Modi Nagar? To get the answer, you…
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] He is from Bhagwan Ram’s birthplace, but is named after Bhagwan Krishna. Kanhaiya shrugs. “My name was given to me by my mata-pita.” An Ayodhya…
Roomies, a portrait. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] So dark, so musty. It’s like a cave. As the eyes adjust to the dimness, this mysterious world exudes even more mystery. The jagged walls—unpainted, bare— are of long-ago lakhori….
The small shop around the corner. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] The white hoarding, the blue and red letters painted on this hoarding, the yellowing shutters. All these adds to the shop’s engrossing ambiance. Merely looking at it…
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The world is in transition, here at Crescent Photo Studio in Old Delhi’s Mohalla Qabristan. “It is to be rebuilt,” says Syed Iqbal Ali. “This…
One of the one percent in 13 million. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] In blue sari and white hair, she at 90 is like a lesser-known but still a notable Walled City monument. This February afternoon, snuggled in…
A wayside shrine. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The strong afternoon breeze coursing through the hill is making the tree leaves shiver like a man in high fever. A bird hidden somewhere is cooing repeatedly. Yellowing leaves litter…
The Delhi Walla’s talk on International Greek Language Day. [Photo by Ismini Panagopoulou-Boudouris] Hello everyone, hello Mr Ambassador, and thank you Ismini for inviting me. To me, who lives more than 3000 miles away from Athens, the word Greece first…
Bergman’s light. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] Before finalising the locale for the movie Winter Light, in 1961, filmmaker Ingram Bergman journeyed through a series of churches in north Sweden, sitting for hours on the pews of each…
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