From The Delhi Walla Archives – A Selection of Prints, “Somewhere in Delhi”, Fifth Batch General by The Delhi Walla - April 22, 20260 Tangible souvenirs [By Mayank Austen Soofi] Hello friends! I’ve come out with the fifth batch of “Somewhere in Delhi” prints! The selection is curated and designed by Venetian designer Anna Gerotto, and professionally printed on high quality Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308 paper. Each print is signed and numbered by its writer-snapper--me! These tangible souvenirs are intended to carry a spirit of the work I have been doing non-stop day and night in the lanes of Delhi—since 2007! Four new options! Write to me for details at mayankaustensoofiarchive@gmail.com. Somewhere in Delhi 1. "Timeworn wall" 2. "Abandoned happiness" 3. "Sam and me" 4. "Writer's diary"
Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Shaan, Near Dilli Gate Delhi Proustians by The Delhi Walla - April 22, 20260 Portrait of a citizen. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] Eyeglasses cover a good part of his shirt. He is also holding very many of them in his right hand. Citizen Shaan is a street hawker of eyeglasses. This afternoon, while on the job, he graciously agrees to join our Proust Questionnaire series, in which citizens are nudged to make “Parisian parlour confessions”, all to explore our distinct experiences. What is your present state of mind? I’m thinking about how to leave Delhi for good. Where would you like to live? I’m 48, too old to keep walking the streets all day. I want to return to my village in Saharsa, Bihar. Delhi is no longer a good place to live. Too much noise, pollution,
City Monument – Zafar Khan’s Tomb, South Delhi Monuments by The Delhi Walla - April 21, 2026April 21, 20260 A snack vendor’s migrations. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] Sometimes the accompaniment outshines the main course. Such is the case with the tomb of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq. The emperor’s tomb is interesting, but the secondary structure appended to his majesty’s monument is more interesting. That said, the red sandstone tomb built 700 years ago on the southern edge of present-day South Delhi is imposing. It radiates power and awe, qualities typical of tombs belonging to Dilli’s long-gone sultans. This one, after all, was built for a dynasty’s founder. The tomb is so world-famous that it shows up even in the comic book Tintin in Tibet! To tell the truth, Ghiyasuddin’s tomb appears more enigmatic when viewed from the hilltop ramparts of neighbouring Tughlaqabad
City Food – Mehdi Hasan’s Bel Sherbet, Minto Road Food by The Delhi Walla - April 20, 20260 A snack vendor’s migrations. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] Seasons shift, and with them come migrations. This cycle is a constant in Mehdi Hasan’s life. Until a few months ago, he was hawking roasted peanuts in a city market—that is his winter trade. During the post-monsoon months, he sells roasted bhuttas. Now the city has entered what many consider its most hostile phase: summer. And Mehdi Hasan has again migrated back into selling cool, sweet, refreshing bel sherbet. “That’s what I do every summer,” he says, his face breaking into a kind, easy smile, as if untouched by the heat, the dust, the chaotic traffic, and the noise of an April afternoon roadside. The soft-spoken gentleman launched the summertime sherbet ten
Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Ranveer Singh Gusain, Indian Coffee House Delhi Proustians by The Delhi Walla - April 19, 20261 Portrait of a citizen. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] Perched atop the second floor of Mohan Singh Place in Central Delhi, the Indian Coffee House is a soft ode to an earlier time. It belongs to an era of affordable snacking out that existed long before the age of take-away sandwiches, self-service counters, and stewards in T-shirts and baseball caps. Prices continue to remain modest here, and the ambience is steeped in a blend of informality and restraint. Head bearer Ranveer Singh Gusain is the coffee house’s senior-most server. This afternoon, he graciously agrees to join our Proust Questionnaire series, where citizens are invited to make “Parisian parlour confessions” and reflect on the experiences that shape them. Faults for which you
City Food – Fen, Around Town Food by The Delhi Walla - April 19, 2026April 19, 20260 Fans of fen. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] Flaky, light, and crisp, fen is a kind of—shall we say—biskut? In truth, it is closer to a puff pastry, made up of many fragile layers, each ready to collapse under even the slightest pressure of the finger. Fen may be brittle, but it is among Delhi’s most democratic bakery offerings. It is affordable to many. A classic companion to morning tea, it now sells for about ten rupees for two. Not long ago, it was five. At the turn of the century, it could be had for a single rupee. The snack is traditionally the stuff of mornings. At dawn, fens begin to arrive at the city’s roadside tea stalls, delivered daily by distributors
City Walk – Gali Nal Wali, Old Delhi Walks by The Delhi Walla - April 19, 2026April 19, 20260 The Walled City encyclopaedia. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] There must be a tap somewhere. The cramped lane is, after all, called Gali Nal Wali. Yet no nal, or tap, shows up in this dark street in Old Delhi. At the entrance, two guesthouses flank the alley. One bears a large painting that briefly transports you to some town in Luxembourg or Netherlands—trams, elegant façades, buildings in a European style. The lane is wide at first, then narrows. It grows darker as the lane further constricts, the buildings on both sides blocking out the sky. As in many Old Delhi lanes, the gali is lined with arched doorways and slanting staircases—until you reach a building unlike the rest. The interior here is
City Walk – Katra Nizam ul Mulk, Old Delhi Walks by The Delhi Walla - April 19, 2026April 19, 20260 The Walled City encyclopaedia. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] One long, walled alley is painted blue; another, green; a third is divided between grey and white. In all of them, the paint curls and flakes from the walls. Katra Nizam ul Mulk sits in the heart of Old Delhi, yet feels spiritually removed from it. Consider its setting in Old Delhi’s street layout: here stands the iconic Jama Masjid. Facing it runs the main road of Urdu Bazar, daily choked with nightmarish traffic, so noisy, so chaotic that no peace survives near it. Along its edge lies a narrow alley, easy to miss and easy to dismiss. This is Katra Nizam ul Mulk. On steeping into the lane, it first tapers,
City Landmark- Joseph Stein’s Triveni Kala Sangam, Mandi House Landmarks by The Delhi Walla - April 10, 2026April 10, 20260 Double milestones. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] The building changes over the course of the day. At peak sunlight, the roof of the terrace expands. The edges loosen from the concrete and extend outward. This, of course, is impossible. A building cannot shift its shape. And yet it appears to do just that. Thanks to the way it is designed, especially in relation to daylight and shadows. This shifting terrace feels like a suitable reason to revisit the building today. As this day Delhi marks the intersection of two milestones: the 114th birth anniversary of architect Joseph Stein with the 75th year of Triveni Art Gallery, the first major Delhi building that Stein designed. Triveni Kala Sangam must rank among Delhi’s most wondrous
Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Ramesh Kumar Mohvy, Kasturba Gandhi Road Delhi Proustians by The Delhi Walla - April 10, 20260 Portrait of a citizen. [Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi] One of the living landmarks of central Delhi’s Kasturba Gandhi Road is Ramesh Kumar Mohvy. He has been the area’s familiar face for many years. In fact, his shoe-repairing pavement stall is marking its 40th anniversary this year. This afternoon, he graciously agrees to become a part of our Proust Questionnaire series, in which citizens are nudged to make “Parisian parlour confessions”, all to explore our distinct experiences. He takes only a single break in between to nudge a street dog to a bowl of milk that was placed for the dog in a corner of the pavement. The principal aspect of your personality. My simple way of life. What is your present state