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Mayank Austen Soofi

Mayank Austen Soofi is a writer-snapper trying to capture Delhi by heart.

Articles by Mayank Austen Soofi

Delhiwale: Into a rafoogar’s heart

Inam Khan, a rafoogar from Khureji, specializes in darning torn clothes in Old Delhi. He dreams of bringing his life back to its former glory in Najibabad.

Inam Khan outside a dry cleaning establishment on Sir Syed Road in Old Delhi. (HT photo)
Updated on Mar 28, 2024 05:36 AM IST

Delhiwale: Citizen Shabana

Shabana, a mother of three, navigates Delhi's streets collecting discards with her children in tow. Her husband's injury has made her the sole breadwinner.

Shabana is on a road with her children following her. (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 27, 2024 06:12 AM IST

Delhiwale: Talking of colours

Delhi's District Park in Hauz Khas Village is about to be adorned with striking shades of red as pilkhan trees dress up in new leaves, resembling a Holi celebration.

Pilkhans typically start shedding in February. The most extravagant pilkhan spectacle unfolds in the District Park, Hauz Khas village. (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 26, 2024 02:17 PM IST

Delhiwale: This way to Haveli Azam Khan

The Walled City dictionary — As part of our ‘Walled City dictionary’ series, that is chronicling every Old Delhi locality

Haveli Azam Khan is said to have been the site of the haveli of a Mughal-era noble called Azam Khan. (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 23, 2024 05:15 PM IST

Delhiwale: The seller of diaries

Nitin Kumar sells diaries near R.K. Ashram metro station to fund his studies and pursue his dream of becoming a police officer, breaking a family tradition.

Nitin Kumar got the idea of such a stall way back in 2014 when he first arrived in Delhi and spotted a pavement establishment stocked with diaries in Mukherjee Nagar. (Mayank Austen Soofi)
Updated on Mar 22, 2024 03:21 PM IST

Delhiwale: Chronicling the march of time

Purani Dilli's historic quarter is undergoing profound changes, from new buildings to personal transitions, altering the fabric of daily life.

A wall on Shah Abul Khair street has been painted over with drawings of old-style doorways and arches. (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 21, 2024 05:22 AM IST

Delhiwale: Farewell to Sona

The mysterious disappearance and tragic fate of the handsome dog Sona, who was a beloved resident of a Ghaziabad apartment complex, leaves his human friends in sorrow.

Sona was looked after by the residents of Vasundhara Valley Apartments. (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 20, 2024 05:48 AM IST

Delhiwale: Gearing up for Holi

Spring in Delhi brings a burst of colors with flowers like kachnar, Caribbean Trumpet, and bougainvillea. Even the city's public spaces are painted in vibrant hues ahead of the late Holi festival on March 25.

A woman drives past a tree with yellow flowers, likely to be the Caribbean Trumpet, which is believed to have been brought to Delhi in the 1970s. Its peak flowering shall arrive next month. (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 19, 2024 05:42 AM IST

Delhiwale: New in HKV

Delhi's newest bookstore, Promenade Books in Hauz Khas village, revives the spirit of the area's rich literary past with rare and forgotten titles, events, and a vibrant atmosphere.

Delhi’s newest bookstore opened ten days ago. (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 18, 2024 05:50 AM IST

Delhiwale: This way to Gali Mazar Wali

The 'Walled City dictionary' series explores Old Delhi streets. Gali Mazar Wali features a mysterious grave, surrounded by legends and colorful signages.

A grave with a chessboard pattern of green and white tiles flanks the entrance of Gali Mazar Wali. The identity of who is buried in this grave has been lost to time. (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 16, 2024 06:16 AM IST

Delhiwale: Peepal watching

Delhi's peepal trees are shedding leaves in a unique pattern, signaling the onset of dry months. Some are bare, some are sprouting new leaves, creating a moody yet surreal landscape in the city.

Outside Kamla Market clock tower (the clock doesn’t work), a completely leafy peepal stands beside a completely leafless peepal. (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 15, 2024 05:55 PM IST

Delhiwale: Two Paharganj shots

Paharganj's Madan Café and Café Festa offer a serene escape from the hustle, serving delicious vegetarian dishes with a touch of nostalgia and artistic flair.

A diner in Café Festa sportingly invited café staffer Anand for a video chat with a friend. (HT photo)
Updated on Mar 14, 2024 02:31 PM IST

Delhiwale: His story in history

Cab driver Taran Pal Singh's routine drive is interrupted by a call about his family's pre-partition roots, revealing a hidden connection to Rawalpindi.

Cab driver Taran Pal Singh’s both sets of grandparents were from pre-Partition Rawalpindi. (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 13, 2024 02:48 PM IST

Delhiwale: The hajamat arbour

Anwar's serene pavement stall under a luscious banyan tree in central Delhi offers haircuts and shaves. A unique haven amidst the bustling city life.

Anwar’s pavement stall beside central Delhi’s Gole Market is austere. (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 12, 2024 06:04 AM IST

Delhiwale: His extraordinary morning walk

Arshad Fehmi's morning walk on his Old Delhi roof offers a unique perspective on the city's historic Jama Masjid and New Delhi landmarks, away from the noisy streets.

Businessman Arshad Fehmi on a morning walk on his sprawling roof, which overlooks the historic Jama Masjid. (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 11, 2024 02:35 PM IST

Delhiwale: Michael for Sunny

Michael Marchant, a photographer from Switzerland, visits Sunny’s grave in Delhi's Indian Christian Cemetery, where he feels a connection with the deceased.

A photographer from Zurich in Switzerland, Michael has been coming on-and-off to India for 40 years. (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 11, 2024 02:30 PM IST

Delhiwale: Into a cab man’s soul

Cab driver Rajneesh, a simple person, values humanity and his family's happiness. He admires Ambedkar, runs a pizza outlet, and studies law. He aspires for beautiful handwriting.

Cab driver Rajneesh describes himself as a simple person. (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 11, 2024 02:25 PM IST

Delhiwale: Michael for Sunny

The story of a 40-year bond.

Michael Marchant is a photographer from Zurich in Switzerland.
Published on Mar 08, 2024 04:09 AM IST

Delhiwale: Into a cab man's soul

Proust questionnaire with a fellow citizen.

Cab driver Rajneesh agrees to become a part of our Proust Questionnaire series.
Published on Mar 07, 2024 06:54 AM IST

Delhiwale: A tale of two temples

Two temples in Gurugram, one dedicated to Guru Ravidas with a peepal tree, the other to Bhagwan Krishna with a neem tree, each unique in their surroundings and ambiance.

The temple in Gurugram’s Old DLF Colony. (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 05, 2024 10:53 PM IST

Delhiwale: Midnight’s graves

Living relatives visit the dead on Shab-e-Barat in Delhi's Panj Peeran graveyard. Some graves are crowded with visitors and lit with candles, while others remain untouched.

Hundreds visit the Panj Peeran Qabristan—graveyard of the five gurus—in central Delhi, beside Lodhi Crematorium, on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat. (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 05, 2024 02:15 PM IST

Delhiwale: Midnight's graves

Visiting a qabristan during a special night.

The Panj Peeran Qabristan in central Delhi.
Published on Mar 05, 2024 04:03 AM IST
By, New Delhi

Delhiwale: Platform arbour

Gurgaon railway station to be revamped under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme with 19,000 crores. Will the lush trees be part of its ambitious future?

Late last month the Prime Minister laid the foundation for revamping the Gurgaon railway station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (HT Photo)
Updated on Mar 04, 2024 02:52 PM IST

Delhiwale: Vikram Seth’s florist

VIPs frequent a historic florist shop near famous literary figures' homes in Nizamuddin East, Delhi. Founded 35 years ago, it remains a local landmark.

Renowned novelist Vikram Seth with a bouquet of flowers. (HT Photo)
Updated on Feb 29, 2024 11:56 PM IST

Delhiwale: The return of red and green

Mixed feelings arise after the restoration of sufi shrines, erasing unique red and green colors, but recent efforts bring back lost colors, reviving the mystics' legends.

The shrines of Hazrat Sarmad Shah Shahid and Hazrat Hare Bhare Shah lie wedged between Jama Masjid and Meena Bazar. (HT Photo)
Updated on Feb 29, 2024 05:46 AM IST

Delhiwale: Waiting for Godot

Retired school teacher Gulam Muhammed Malik embodies Samuel Beckett in Delhi, sharing his life philosophy in a Proust Questionnaire session.

Delhiwale: Waiting for Godot
Updated on Feb 27, 2024 04:33 PM IST

Delhiwale: Songs of semal

Delhi's tolerable season arrives with the blossoming of semal trees, adding vibrant red hues to the cityscape. Explore these stunning sights across the city.

The blossoming of semal marks the debut of Delhi’s most tolerable season (Mayank Singh)
Updated on Feb 26, 2024 05:10 PM IST

Delhiwale: This way to School Wali Gali

The Walled City dictionary: As part of our ‘Walled City dictionary’ series, that is chronicling every Old Delhi aspect

On entering one of these grand doorways, the view turns out to be underwhelming, much like a traveller exiting out of a grandiose railway station only to find a small, dull, nondescript town. Perhaps not much of the original mansion survived the years. (Mayank Austen Soofi)
Updated on Feb 24, 2024 06:18 AM IST

Out in the civil season

Delhi's serene Civil Lines in Gurugram offer a magical escape with historic Church of Epiphany, peacocks, chai stall, and delicious chhole bhature at Civil Line Walla.

Out in the civil season
Updated on Feb 23, 2024 05:42 AM IST

Portrait of a singer

Glimpsing into a citizen’s life

This has to be shop staffer Suhail, forever busy shifting stacks of books between the racks, or politely keeping an eye on potential flickers.
Published on Feb 16, 2024 02:28 AM IST
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