A tale of FOUR CITIES

Life in the city means navigating the high volume of traffic, negotiating potholes, elbowing your way through the crowds and so on. But beneath the heat, noise and dust, you will discover something special about your neighbourhood, say, a temple or a church, which is an architectural marvel; a bustling village in the middle of the city; or a wrestling akhara where your grandfather must have flexed his muscles. 

Every city is special in some way or the other, but a lot of times, we miss out on the intricacies. Bringing to us the everyday sights and sounds, the changing face and the glorious past of four Indian cities, social media influencers share their experiences of capturing the images and what makes them truly special. 

FROM MONUMENTS TO MOMENTS
Before it became a major hub for the IT industry, Pune was called the ‘pensioner’s paradise’. It has always been home to the burgeoning student community, thanks to its academic aura. But the influx of IT professionals and the increasing student population have brought about a transition in its urban landscape. Cafes, clubs, pubs, malls and fancy eating joints have sprung up everywhere and the city exudes a youthful vibe. At the same time, Pune has cemented its heritage spot with wadas, temples, old bazaars and so on.  

Sukanya Bhosale, a digital marketing professional, who runs the instagram handle https://www.instagram.com/punemint/, says, “My grandparents live in Peth area, but I reside in Hadapsar. I am familiar with the old alleys and the cheek-by-jowl dwellings and the community life. They make for great photos.”

Bhosale started this handle a year ago to capture the buzz and pulse of the city. Many budding photographers click images of Pune and she puts them out on the insta handle. “Some people tag me on social media sites, some mail the images directly. I choose the best ones, pictures that convey a sense of the city to those who are newcomers or are here for a short stay. Students and working professionals are interested in finding out where they can head to on weekends like Rajmachi or Purandar  forts, or which place offers great grub. Then, there are some who want to learn about their culture. So the photo gallery covers all these aspects,” she says.

Most newcomers know of Shaniwarwada, Dagdusheth Ganapati Temple, Good Luck Cafe. “These photos always get traction. One would wonder on how differently can Shaniwarwada be captured, but there are takers for it. The people featured in the photo or those clicking it want to leave their imprint on the monument. However, there are many shutterbugs who are also capturing the changing landscape of the city — the flyovers, the malls, Pune at night etc. I have also seen that people are interested in capturing life on streets — the people, the vehicles, the folk artists. Our streets are never dull. There is a shift from monuments to moments,” adds Bhosale, whose insta handle gets weekly 70,000 impressions and reaches 20,000 users. 

PAST CONTINUOUS
This Shahajahanabad resident describes Purani Dilli as “an awesome mixture of everything and the world’s most organised mess”. Abu Sufiyan, who owns https://www.instagram.com/Puranidilliwaley/ handle, posts regularly about the lives of the residents. Says he, “Dilli 6 is not just a pin code but a concoction of varied cultures which are amicably interwoven between the lives of disparate communities and religions.”

His mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit, draw the attention of authorities and local residents to protect the culture and heritage of the city. To outsiders and visitors, Shahajahanabad is about food (though that is awesome!). 

“People think that we are from a backward class. In popular domain, Old Delhi often refers to Kareems and kebabs. That is true. But it is more than that — it’s also a commercial hub for traders,” points out Sufiyan.  

When he was growing up, Sufiyan didn’t appreciate the neighbourhood, traffic chaos and how people would not mind their own business. “I always wanted to leave this city and live somewhere else, maybe in posh colonies/ cities/ abroad. I got a chance to pursue engineering in Chandigarh and an opportunity to leave Old Delhi. When I left, I started missing it. I would record my mother’s phone conversations. She speaks in beghmati zabani (which is the language of the women of the sharif/ well-heeled families) so I thought of creating a blog called Purani Dilli Walo Ki Baatein on Facebook in 2014. With the popularity of the page, I was motivated to write/ observe/ read more about Old Delhi which led me to fall in love with it. I never knew that one day I would become a synonym for this city. When people talk about Old Delhi, Purani Dilli Walo Ki Baatein comes to their mind,” says Sufiyan, who has 80,000 plus followers on Instagram, FB, Twitter and YouTube.