India, Oct. 20 -- A man is walking in Connaught Place. He is in the Inner Circle. White columns line his path. The columns were built during British rule, along with CP's original buildings. The man's shadow falls on one column, his head and shoulders appearing clearly on the plaster-see photo. He walks on. The shadow leaves that column and appears on the next. The sight is surreal. October light and CP's architecture are making this jugalbandi possible.

CP's showrooms and restaurants in Central Delhi have come and gone over the decades. But these columns have continued to stand. Now, with winter approaching, the afternoon sunlight is poetically hijacking the surfaces of these columns. Truth be told, this play of light is not confined to...