City Monument – Puma’s Heartbreaking Vandalisation of Old Delhi’s Prettiest Street, Galli Chooriwallan Monuments by The Delhi Walla - October 4, 2017November 17, 20178 The attack on beauty. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] So amusing, this. Here is the quick easy way to destroy the most beautiful street in Old Delhi. The Delhi Walla is talking of Galli Chooriwallan, the street of the bangle sellers. The most beautiful part of the street is a tiny stretch where it merges into Chawri Bazaar. Here’s a world of dream-like lakhori bricks that are no longer used in construction. Looking at the old-fashioned wooden doors and window screens, it seems impossible that the earlier times have passed away. Overhanging balconies are held in position by elaborately carved brackets. The entire effect is ethereal. This morning, however, I discovered that the walls have acquired a new look. They stand painted with bright colours and designs, much like the flyovers and pavement walls in the newer parts of the city so famously reclaimed by our radical artists who want to bring art close to us commoners. But right now my praise for the well-meaning artist-vandals is probably misplaced. A dweller in the street said that the stretch was actually painted over by a company—for a TV commercial shoot. The disgraceful company turned out to be Puma. Grrrrrrr! Getting rid of the last traces of beauty 1. Then 2. Now 3. Then 4. Now 5. Then 6. Now 7. Then 8. Now 9. Then 10. Now 11. Then 12. Now 13. Then 14. Now 15. FacebookX Related Related posts: City Monument – Green Door, Galli Chooriwallan Street City Monument – Old Beautiful Doorways, Galli Chooriwallan Street City Food – Bel Sherbet, Galli Suiwallan Street City Landmark – Mansion With Seven Doors, Galli Chooriwallan City Landmark – Metalsmith Muhammed Ikram’s Workshop, Galli Chooriwallan
So sorry to see the desecration of these old streets with graffiti that does not always pass for art. A lot passes for “fun” these days and much of this seems vacuous. Fun is in activities of play – maybe kite flying or walking in the sprawling gardens, writing a poem, sharing foods with friends and family. These images allow no space in – they push tgeh viewer into a corner -much like today’s loud media, sloganeering, and some kinds of music and TV dramas – so in your face. There is no message from the depths of humanity. And the old walls must be cleansed of this torrid paint job. And people remember that walking along these lanes arises awakens a plethora of inspirations. The sameness is not boredom but a story. The paint job erases everything and people forget even who they can become.
Why aren’t those artists do the same with their houses and locality?? Why are they ruining a space which has historical memories? Shame on those who did this and thinks they can create a canvas over these walls. Please clean it up and restore it to its original form.
Funny, no one asked the residents to restore it to its original form. They were letting it rot. I’m quite sure the houses weren’t built with crumbling bricks and rusted pipes. Old Delhi doesn’t need graffiti vandals to ruin it. The residents are doing it very well by themselves. The fact that they let graffiti vandals in in the first place shows how much concern they have for their own neighbourhoods.
Building are decaying for the lack of care and attention. Unknown street artists have given these walls a coat of pain, assuring their already fragile state some longevity. Psychedelic fluorescent colors lend a vibrant hue of rainbow life to these otherwise graveyard looking unloved pre-loved homes without residents. At least someone cares enough to paint these. This is no vandalism. If the article said it was done by MF Hussain, Lutyen Leftist, Scotch Seculars, single malt Liquor Liberals, their camp followers and readers would be gushing over it. Itna sundar toh bana diya, ab aur kya bacchon ki jaan loge. Swacch drishtikon please, sab sundar dikhega. बुरा जो देखन मैं चला, बुरा ना मिल्या कोय ! जो मन खोजा आपना, मुझ से बुरा ना कोय !! Jai ho. Jai ho.