Delhi Street Art: Agrasen Ki Baoli
While we were walking towards the Agrasen Ki Baoli just before the entrance to the famed step well of Delhi we found some excellent Street Art on the wall opposite to the Baoli or Step Well. I am not sure who the artists/s are but with this blog post let me salute the street artists of Delhi who are doing their bit to revive the city center in Connaught Place.
At this stage it will be good if you check my earlier post about Delhi Street Art in Shankar Market, Connaught Place before going further.
As somebody who always looks for Ganesha my eyes first met this colorful Ganesha with his Golden Crown, but looking directly at me. But on closer inspection I was even more impressed with the little mushak ( mouse) offering a modak or laddu to Ganesha, also note the left hand of Ganesha with a eye in the palm a very unique way to depict Ganesha is son of Shiva and has 3 eyes. BTW there are more rats in the picture than I have mentioned can you count them ?
The Ganesha rests on what appears to be waves as some of the paint got peeled over time, and these waves are emerging from the head of a 3 eyed fearsome guy called Kirtimukha seen on new homes in India, to ward off evil eye. If you know how to read Devnagri script you can read hidden within the face “ Buri Nazar Wale Tera Mooh Kala “ or evil eye guy your face is black ( Yes we are racist and are in sync with western civilization here, where dark is considered evil and all is fair in Love and War )
There is another painting next to Ganesha that was hidden behind an auto rickshaw driver sleeping in his auto. May be next time I will get a better picture.
While walking back towards the Barakhamba Road, I also found these tiles on boundary wall of one of the last surviving independent houses in Connaught Place area. I could see Lakshmi, Hanuman, and our friend Kirtimukha, only in this case scaring away potential pisser byes ( that would be every single male with urinary tract intact in India ). This is a common practice in India to paint Hindu Gods and various other religious symbols like Cross, etc to prevent people to piss and spit on the walls.
Other common practice to induce bladder control in Indian males is to write : Gadhe Ke Poot Yahan Mat Moot ( गधे के पूत यहां मत मूत — Son of a Jackass don’t piss here), but in my experience Gods’ are more effective in stopping guys to piss than reminding them about their illustrious ancestry. May be you should check my post about Travel and Toilets in India.
What do you say? What is your experience about Street Art?
To know more about this street art click on the post about Agrasen Ki Baoli
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Beautiful! I had never seen any of these in Delhi, I didn’t realise there was so much. Kathmandu has some amazing street art, some of which is similar to some of these paintings, particularly the gods and goddesses.
Thanks Elen… Street art is one of the most vibrant art form and it also makes the city vibrant and less stressfull.. Would love to see some pics clicked by you of street art in Kathmandu
Hi Prasad, you can find some of my pics here: http://www.wildernessmetropolis.com/kathmandus-graffiti-murals/
Thanks Elen… checking them now 🙂
Cool street art.
I almost missed the mouse on the laddoos.
I actually like the picture of the rickshaw in the foreground of that artwork. Makes that a very Desi frame. 🙂
And for the pics of gods and goddess on public walls in order to keep our roadsides clean is a pretty smart idea.
Hmm most of us stop at Laddoos 🙂