City Landmark – Toilet Monolith, Deer Park General by The Delhi Walla - December 10, 20200 Art in everyday world. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Recently, the mystery apparition (and subsequent disappearance) of shiny monoliths in the United States and Romania have caused shock waves of excitement. Is it the work of aliens, or some sort of discreet artistic performance? And what about this abandoned Indian-style toilet, in south Delhi’s Deer Park? Can it be considered a work of art in its currently evolved form? Do we know where it comes from? Covered with earth, and with a single plant growing from it, the discovery looks utterly original. The toilet lies next to a pathway snaking towards the Hauz Khas lake. Quick investigations with a gardener sunning herself on the lawn nearby reveals that a restaurant used
City Food – Shabnam Restaurant, Motor Market Food by The Delhi Walla - December 10, 20200 The wall art. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Here in the Walled City the entire restaurant is uniquely adorned with hand-drawn paintings. This is a feast not merely for taste buds but also for the discerning eye. And even before you enter Shabnam Restaurant you encounter art out there on the pavement—a fish and a rooster sketched in red and black on a metal box. The wall next to the counter has the sketch of samovar which seems fitting for a Kashmiri specialty eatery. Piping hot tea is coming out of the kettle’s nozzle, and right into a cup. Once inside, there’s the extraordinary back wall that builds on a fish and rooster motif—now hugely magnified. While, alongside the switchboard, a delicious whole