Time travel through Delhi’s rustic doors

The doorways of old Delhi serve as a portal to the times of architectural beauty. Some of them remain intact, some are ruined, while others are replaced by modern doors

Killer string: Not Chinese at all but sourced from UP, MP despite ban

Why does glass-coated manjha, banned five years ago by the National Green Tribunal, continue to be bought and sold, taking the lives of animals and humans? That’s because it no longer comes from China but is Made in India, and the police are not serious about striking at the roots of this trade

Harkback to history

Even today, when few people remember that Old Delhi was once the seat of power and called Shahjahanabad, its monuments are a reminder of the era of the Mughals

Delhi’s Urdu Bazaar and the slow death of a language

The lane that is now seen as the go-to place for kebabs and other Mughlai cuisines was once the hub of Urdu literature. With multiple shops flooded with Urdu novels, magazines specifically for women and children, deewans, compilations of poems, short stories, books of different sorts and visitors from all corners of the city, Urdu Bazaar flourished as a literary paradise for the lovers of Urdu literature

Meena Bazaar: City’s heritage market on its last legs

The one-of-a-kind market that was once run by women for women, has been falling to pieces with neglect over time. One of the oldest markets in the walled city is screaming for attention, but authorities continue to look the other way

Waiting to inhale: Welcome to the art of smell walking through the capital’s streets

Not just sights and sounds, the smells of Delhi shape the life and culture here – from the aroma of various food items in Chandni Chowk to the fragrance of incense sticks at Feroz Shah Kotla Fort

Delhi’s minars: forbidden pleasures

The minars (towers) of medieval Delhi still dominate the skyline of the capital. Half a century ago, they were much sought after as they offered a bird’s eye view of the city to both tourists and the capital’s citizens. But now they are closed to the public. Patriot uncovers the stories behind their closure 

Delhi Summers: Cucumber losing its cool quotient

While the heatwave is keeping several people locked inside their air-conditioned homes and offices, vendors have to spend the entire day outdoors to earn a meagre livelihood. Delhi’s locally produced summer drinks and food offer passersby much-needed respite.