VIVEK SHUKLA
The writer is a Delhi-based senior journalist and author of two books ‘Gandhi's Delhi: April 12, 1915-January 30, 1948 and Beyond’ and ‘Dilli Ka Pehla Pyar - Connaught Place’
Posts by: VIVEK SHUKLA
Fading cinema halls of Connaught Place
Once home to Regal, Rivoli, Odeon and Plaza, Connaught Place shaped generations of Delhi’s moviegoers. As shutters come down on historic screens and memories fade, this feature traces how the capital’s shared film culture is shrinking — and what its loss means for the city
The gardeners behind the bloom at Amrit Udyan
As Amrit Udyan reopens to the public, it is the generational labour of the malis, whose skill, discipline and continuity sustain one of Delhi’s most iconic public gardens year after year
North Block’s final chapter in budget-making
As the Finance Ministry moves to the Central Vista, the Union Budget for 2026–27 may be the last to be prepared in North Block. A look at how the iconic building shaped decades of fiscal policymaking, secrecy, and tradition
Kartavya Path: where India’s Republic comes alive
From a colonial axis of imperial power to the symbolic heart of the Republic, Kartavya Path embodies India’s democratic journey. Each Republic Day, it transforms into a living stage where duty, diversity, military might and constitutional values converge in the national imagination
Jhankis of unity: how Republic Day tableaux reflect India’s soul
Rolling down Kartavya Path each January, Republic Day tableaux — or jhankis — blend art, history and statecraft, turning the parade into a moving canvas of India’s diversity, aspirations and shared national imagination
The coffee house Delhi refuses to forget
Demolished during the Emergency in 1976, the Indian Coffee House at Connaught Place was more than a café. Half a century later, memories of its politics, arguments, friendships and defiance continue to shape Delhi’s cultural imagination
Echoes of Iran in Capital cityscape
At a time when Iran is facing one of its most widespread upheavals in decades—Delhi quietly preserves centuries-old Persian legacies. From Mughal monuments to living cultural institutions, the city reflects an enduring Indo-Iranian bond that has survived borders, politics and time
SRCC at 100: how one man’s vision shaped India’s commerce education
As Shri Ram College of Commerce marks its centenary in 2026, its journey from a modest commercial school in old Delhi to one of India’s most sought-after institutions reflects the enduring educational vision of its founder, Lala Shri Ram