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Month: December 2013

City Life – Gay Delhi, Jantar Mantar

by The Delhi Walla - 5

The long walk to freedom. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] In July 2009, the Delhi High Court legalized gay sex among consenting adults. In December 2013, India’s Supreme Court turned down that progressive and just verdict, reinstating a colonial-era ban on gay sex – the same evening an impressive number of Delhiwallas who believe that fundamental rights are for every person, irrespective of her or his sexual orientation, gathered in Jantar Mantar, the capital's protest square, to express their outrage against the judgment. Many people were dressed in black; some were waving little rainbow flags; others carried placards with slogans like ‘We are not criminals’ and and ‘Nelson Mandela was on our side’. There were disappointed faces in the crowd,

City Life – Gay Delhi, Around Town

by The Delhi Walla - 4

Homosexuality in the capital. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] In December 2013, India's Supreme Court pronounced that gay sex is illegal. It has been a long journey for gay people in Delhi and across the country. “Looking for chubby bottoms.” “Looking for good-looking, straight-acting guys.” “Looking for discreet friendship and fun.” “Looking for a real and honest man.” “Looking for sex with hairy men.” On a recent Sunday morning, these were the status messages of five of the 131 people in Delhi who were cruising for men on the international gay dating website Guys4men.com, popularly called PlanetRomeo. Started in Germany in 2002, PlanetRomeo’s impact on the lives of homosexual men in India’s big cities started much earlier than the Delhi high court verdict

City Food – Shrikhand, H. Nizamuddin Railway Station

by The Delhi Walla - 2

The sweet idea from Gujarat. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] It is a dessert from the west Indian state of Gujarat. In Delhi, shrikhand can be found at the milk booth on Platform No. 4 of Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station. This cardamom-flavoured fermented curd is supposed to be sweet and soury. The Delhi Walla found -- at least the station edition -- extremely sweet, and refreshing. The fresh stock of this yoghurt arrives daily from Madhya Pradesh, not Gujarat. Prepared by the workers of that state’s Dairy Federation Ltd, it reaches the capital after an overnight journey in a refrigerated mini-truck from Gwalior, the hometown of the late Madhavrao Scindia. During his tenure as India’s railway minister, the ex-Maharaja-turned-politician had set up

Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – R. Sivapriya, Freedom Fighters Enclave

by The Delhi Walla - 0

The Proustian self-introspection. [By The Delhi Proustians] The Proust Questionnaire represents a form of interview that owes its structure to answers given by French novelist Marcel Proust, the author of In Search of Lost Time, at two birthday parties that he attended at ages 13 and 20 in the late 19th century. In early 2013, The Delhi Proustians started taking Les confidences de salon (Drawing room confessions) around the city to explore people’s lives, thoughts, values and experiences. The series involves interviews across Delhi and is conducted by writers Manika Dhama and Mayank Austen Soofi. For the fourteenth installment of Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire, R. Sivapriya, widely acknowledged as one of India's most perceptive literary editors, made confessions to Mayank at her home in south

City Hangout – Main Bazaar, Paharganj

by The Delhi Walla - 2

Sights of the world. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The Main Bazaar in Paharganj is a clutter of cafés, second-hand book stores and a few atmospheric broken-down mansions. Close to the New Delhi railway station, the bustling district has traditionally been a haven for backpackers for whom Delhi serves as the starting point to the rest of India. Although lately in vogue with the city’s hipsters in search of the next cool place in town, Paharganj remains firmly captive to the taste of foreigners. Its eateries serve Continental breakfast, Mediterranean platter, and health salads; many offer authentic cuisines from lands as varied as Israel and Italy. The customers include Israeli rabbis and American hippies (yes, they still exist, at least in

Hauz Khas Series – A House in the Village, Chapter 7

by The Delhi Walla - 3

Life in Delhi’s prettiest neighborhood. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The sun leaves the winter sky. The air empties of all sounds. The lake by the village crystallizes into utter solitude. The Delhi Walla is walking around Hauz Khas lake. Although visible from my roof, it is stirring up feelings only at this close vicinity -- the entire place is drenched in magic. The 14th century ruins of Feroze Shah Tughlaq’s tomb feel like myths in the gathering darkness. The lake’s cold surface is filling up with twilight shades. Two ducks are paddling on its orange blaze. Close by, a woman is standing alone by a shrub. The sky blackens and the partially-sunken boat ceases to be visible. Nothing seems

Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Pradeep Chaturvedi, Gurgaon

by The Delhi Walla - 1

The Proustian self-introspection. [By The Delhi Proustians] The Proust Questionnaire represents a form of interview that owes its structure to answers given by French novelist Marcel Proust, the author of In Search of Lost Time, at two birthday parties that he attended at ages 13 and 20 in the late 19th century. In early 2013, The Delhi Proustians started taking Les confidences de salon (Drawing room confessions) around the city to explore people’s lives, thoughts, values and experiences. The series involves interviews across Delhi and is conducted by writers Manika Dhama and Mayank Austen Soofi. For the thirteenth installment of Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire, Pradeep Chaturvedi, a manager at a consulting firm, made confessions to Manika at his office in Gurgaon. Your favorite virtue or the

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