Hindustan Times
54 years ago, on the first day of May, Jawarharlal Nehru flashed a smile (recorded by a grainy b&w photograph) as he flung open the doors of Sapru House on Barakhamba Road. After all, the red-and-white sandstone building, a paean to Nehruvian secularism (Buddhist stupa-style dome; Hindu-esque pillar facade; Islamic design on the gateway), was built for an institution dedicated to his passion – world affairs. Read more
(4 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5)
Loading ...Posted by Mayank Austen Soofi on Monday, November 30, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Filed under The Delhi Walla · Tagged Barakhamba Road, books, Buddhist stupa, Chatham House, Hindu-esque pillar, Indian Council of World Affairs, Indian Express, Islamic design, Jawarharlal Nehru, library, Royal Institute of International Affairs, S Radhakrishnan, Sapru House, The Hindu, The Pioneer, Zakir Hussain
November 24. Today is Arundhati Roy’s 48th birthday and it’s time for some candid confession. Those who hate purple prose must leave immediately. Now, listen. I have tempered with the laws that lay down who should be loved, and how. And how much. I have crossed into forbidden territory. I love a novel. The God of Small Things. Read more
(8 votes, average: 4.25 out of 5) Loading ...Posted by Mayank Austen Soofi on Monday, November 23, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Filed under Musings · Tagged Arundhati Roy, Chinese, Dutch, German, he God of Small Things, Hindi, Japanese, Larry McLasin, Spanish
Each morning my news-obsessed papa says this country is going to dogs. I say this city is going to dogs. It’s a hot November afternoon and I’m in Chandni Chowk. Gurdwara Seesganj Sahib is in front of me; Jain Mandir is close by, and Jama Masjid not far. So holy a place and yet no peace. Read more
(7 votes, average: 4.29 out of 5) Loading ...Posted by Mayank Austen Soofi on Monday, November 16, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Filed under The Delhi Walla · Tagged Chandni Chowk, Delhi High Court, Fatehpuri Masjid, Gurdwara Seesganj, Jain Mandir, Jama Masjid, rickshaws, traffic jams
6.23am: Waking up in Hauz Khas Village, my new address. Looking out the window into the 13th century ruins. Ferozeshah’s tomb, the madrasa, the lake. Beyond – Deer Park. The trees laced with the morning mist. The rest of Delhi invisible. Read more
(7 votes, average: 4.29 out of 5) Loading ...Posted by Mayank Austen Soofi on Friday, November 13, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Filed under Musings · Tagged Deer Park, Hauz khas village, Hindustan Times, South Delhi
The celebrated Delhi-based author Khushwant Singh loves Pakistan, a nation often looked at with suspicion, and sometimes even with hatred, by a majority of Indians.
One winter evening in 2009 at a rare public appearance, the 94-year-old novelist, facing a select audience that included the Indian prime minister’s wife, said, “I wish more Indians realise that most Pakistanis are nice people.” Read more
(10 votes, average: 4 out of 5) Loading ...Posted by Mayank Austen Soofi on Monday, November 9, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Filed under Musings · Tagged Hindustan Times, India, Khushwant Singh, news, Pakistan, Sujan Singh Park, Train to Pakistan
The smoggy ITO crossing can hardly be mistaken for the breezy Mall Road of Mussoorie. But curiously, it is here that the natives of Kumaon and Garhwal presently residing in Delhi head for their music fix. All thanks to four rickety stalls specializing in Garhwali and Kumaoni music videos.
These stalls are a treasure-trove for Uttaranchali music lovers. Read more
(2 votes, average: 2 out of 5) Loading ...Posted by Mayank Austen Soofi on Monday, November 2, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Filed under Musings · Tagged Garhwal, ITO crossing, Kumaoni music, Maiti Music Center, Mall Road, Mussoorie
