Mashak wallas, past and present

IOn a Walled City heritage

- Mayank Austen Soofi

It all began one afternoon in Delhi's Sunday Book Bazar, on fishing out the first edition of an out-of-print guidebook on the Walled City. Published more than 35 years ago, 'Old Delhi: 10 Easy Walks' was authored by two Englishwomen, Gaynor Barton and Laurraine Malone. The cover shows a man standing in front of the Jama Masjid. He is in check lungi, with something slung on his shoulder. It is a mashak, an old-fashioned goat-skin bag. Long ago in Purani Dilli, a mashak walla would draw water from the well, pour it into his goat-skin bag, and hawk the water from house to house.