An abstraction, Daulat ki Chaat is more an idea than a dessert. A white froth, pop a spoonful into the mouth and it disappears. The lingering sweetness is as fleeting as an early-morning dream. Read more

It was the first time in the living memory of middle-aged Delhiites that rain fell on Eid-ul-Fitr, the Muslim festival that marks the end of Ramzan, the month of praying, fasting and cleansing the soul. The Delhi Walla attended the morning namaaz at Shahi Idgah, the 17th century mosque built specifically to perform Eid prayers. Read more

Mathura Road: A man and woman on a bike. An apartment in suburban Vasundhra: A man in the bedroom, a woman in the kitchen. Zebra crossing in Inner Circle, Connaught Place: A man and woman crossing the road. Read more

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

The Delhi Walla discovered this grainy image in the archives of LIFE magazine. Nothing is known about the year when this picture was taken. But the life seen in this frame is proof enough that much has changed in this city down the decades. Read more

On the Sunday that preceded Republic Day, there were no booksellers in Daryajanj’s weekly book bazaar.

“It’s closed for security reasons,” a paanwalla told me. I stood on the empty pavement and laughed. Trains were still chugging in Old Delhi station, chaatwallas were still frying tikkis in Chandni Chowk but this booklovers’ den was a security threat. Read more