City Hangout – Tonga Rides, Walled City Hangouts by The Delhi Walla - June 19, 2014June 19, 20142 Journeys recalled. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Every year the newspapers report that the authorities are planning to banish the tongas of Old Delhi to address the city's traffic problem. Sentimental pieces appear in their defense and every year, somehow, they manage to survive. Not a popular commuting option any longer, the tongas are found in old neighbourhoods such as Kashmere Gate, Sadar Bazaar and Daryaganj. Evenings and nights are the best time for a joy ride. Like in the magical world of Harry Potter, the tonga trots on giving an illusion of poles, trees and houses hopping aside to clear the way for the moody mare to chart her own course. It jolts the passengers, splashes over puddles, overtakes buses,
Atget’s Corner – 261-265, Delhi Photos Delhi Pics by The Delhi Walla - June 18, 20140 The visible city. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] Delhi is a voyeur's paradise and The Delhi Walla also makes pictures. I take photos of people, streets, flowers, eateries, drawing rooms, tombs, landscapes, buses, colleges, Sufi shrines, trees, animals, autos, libraries, birds, courtyards, kitchens and old buildings. My archive of more than 25,000 photos showcases Delhi’s ongoing evolution. Each day five randomly picked pictures from this collection will be put up on the pages of this website. The series is named in the memory of French artist Eugène Atget (1857-1927), who, in the words of a biographer, was an “obsessed photographer determined to document every corner of Paris before it disappeared under the assault of modern improvements.” Here are Delhi photos numbered 261 to 265. 261. Palika
Atget’s Corner – 256-260, Delhi Photos Delhi Pics by The Delhi Walla - June 17, 20140 The visible city. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] Delhi is a voyeur's paradise and The Delhi Walla also makes pictures. I take photos of people, streets, flowers, eateries, drawing rooms, tombs, landscapes, buses, colleges, Sufi shrines, trees, animals, autos, libraries, birds, courtyards, kitchens and old buildings. My archive of more than 25,000 photos showcases Delhi’s ongoing evolution. Each day five randomly picked pictures from this collection will be put up on the pages of this website. The series is named in the memory of French artist Eugène Atget (1857-1927), who, in the words of a biographer, was an “obsessed photographer determined to document every corner of Paris before it disappeared under the assault of modern improvements.” Here are Delhi photos numbered 256 to 260. 256. Near
Delhi’s Bandaged Heart – Soumya Mukerji, Mehar Chand Market City Poetry by The Delhi Walla - June 17, 2014June 3, 20152 Poetry in the city. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The Delhi Walla arranged to meet poet Soumya Mukerji at a cafe in central Delhi’s Mehar Chand Market. In her 20s, she produced her first poem at five – it was on the Wright Brothers’ first flight. An admirer of Mirza Ghalib, Faiz Ahmad Faiz and Rainer Maria Rilke, Ms Mukerji says, "If I’m at home, I compose poetry late into the night when folks have gone to bed but mostly thoughts come to me when I'm commuting in the Metro or just taking a walk... perhaps on a good weather day.” A journalist during the day, Ms Mukerji says, “Poetry is a small private freedom that's actually far bigger
Atget’s Corner – 251-255, Delhi Photos Delhi Pics by The Delhi Walla - June 16, 2014June 16, 20140 The visible city. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] Delhi is a voyeur's paradise and The Delhi Walla also makes pictures. I take photos of people, streets, flowers, eateries, drawing rooms, tombs, landscapes, buses, colleges, Sufi shrines, trees, animals, autos, libraries, birds, courtyards, kitchens and old buildings. My archive of more than 25,000 photos showcases Delhi’s ongoing evolution. Each day five randomly picked pictures from this collection will be put up on the pages of this website. The series is named in the memory of French artist Eugène Atget (1857-1927), who, in the words of a biographer, was an “obsessed photographer determined to document every corner of Paris before it disappeared under the assault of modern improvements.” Here are Delhi photos numbered 251 to 255. 251. Gurgaon 252.
City List – Delhi Sultanate Rulers, First to Last Delhi by List by The Delhi Walla - June 15, 2014June 15, 20141 Delhi by list. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Delhi Sultanate spanned five dynasties, 32 rulers and 320 years. It laid the foundation of Islam in India and lasted from 1206 to 1526. Delhi is filled with its ruins. The Delhi Walla lists all the rulers of the Sultanate – one of whom was India’s first woman ruler, while the last was vanquished by Babur, the Central Asian founder of India's Mughal dynasty. Slave Dynasty 1. Qutbuddin Aibak (1206–1210) 2. Aram Shah (1210–1211) 3. Shams ud din Iltutmish (1211–1236) 4. Rukn ud din Firuz (1236) 5. Raziyat ud din Sultana (1236–1240) 6. Muiz ud din Bahram (1240–1242) 7. Ala ud din Masud (1242–1246) 8. Nasir ud din Mahmud (1246–1266) 9. Ghiyas ud din Balban (1266–1286) 10. Muiz ud din Qaiqabad (1286–1290) 11. Kayumars
Atget’s Corner – 246-250, Delhi Photos Delhi Pics by The Delhi Walla - June 15, 2014June 15, 20140 The visible city. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] Delhi is a voyeur's paradise and The Delhi Walla also makes pictures. I take photos of people, streets, flowers, eateries, drawing rooms, tombs, landscapes, buses, colleges, Sufi shrines, trees, animals, autos, libraries, birds, courtyards, kitchens and old buildings. My archive of more than 25,000 photos showcases Delhi’s ongoing evolution. Each day five randomly picked pictures from this collection will be put up on the pages of this website. The series is named in the memory of French artist Eugène Atget (1857-1927), who, in the words of a biographer, was an “obsessed photographer determined to document every corner of Paris before it disappeared under the assault of modern improvements.” Here are Delhi photos numbered 246 to 250. 246. Connaught
City Life – Home Sweet Home, Zakir Husain Marg Delhi Homes by The Delhi Walla - June 14, 2014September 29, 20151 Inside the walls. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] One afternoon The Delhi Walla visits Muhammed Israel's residence. In his 40s, Mr Israel lives with his wife and three sons on Zakir Husain Marg in central Delhi. A rickshaw puller, Mr Israel has spread out two blankets on the pavement. This is his home. The only luxury items are a hand fan and a baby-feeding bottle. The clothes, says Mr Israel, are packed in a trunk hidden at a secured place under the Oberoi Hotel flyover. The family is having its lunch, though the youngest son, a seven-month-old baby, is asleep. Mr Israel’s wife has cooked dal, rice and a crispy dish of bitter gourd. The eldest son is eating from
Atget’s Corner – 241-245, Delhi Photos Delhi Pics by The Delhi Walla - June 13, 20140 The visible city. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] Delhi is a voyeur's paradise and The Delhi Walla also makes pictures. I take photos of people, streets, flowers, eateries, drawing rooms, tombs, landscapes, buses, colleges, Sufi shrines, trees, animals, autos, libraries, birds, courtyards, kitchens and old buildings. My archive of more than 25,000 photos showcases Delhi’s ongoing evolution. Each day five randomly picked pictures from this collection will be put up on the pages of this website. The series is named in the memory of French artist Eugène Atget (1857-1927), who, in the words of a biographer, was an “obsessed photographer determined to document every corner of Paris before it disappeared under the assault of modern improvements.” Here are Delhi photos numbered 241 to 245. 241. Karol
Atget’s Corner – 236-240, Delhi Photos Delhi Pics by The Delhi Walla - June 12, 20140 The visible city. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] Delhi is a voyeur's paradise and The Delhi Walla also makes pictures. I take photos of people, streets, flowers, eateries, drawing rooms, tombs, landscapes, buses, colleges, Sufi shrines, trees, animals, autos, libraries, birds, courtyards, kitchens and old buildings. My archive of more than 25,000 photos showcases Delhi’s ongoing evolution. Each day five randomly picked pictures from this collection will be put up on the pages of this website. The series is named in the memory of French artist Eugène Atget (1857-1927), who, in the words of a biographer, was an “obsessed photographer determined to document every corner of Paris before it disappeared under the assault of modern improvements.” Here are Delhi photos numbered 236 to 240. 236. Vikaspuri 237.