Delhiwale: Reading the Delhi walls

In New Delhi, street walls are plastered with diverse flyers reflecting citizens' hopes and struggles, showcasing the city's vibrant, chaotic life.

The historic Walled City of Old Delhi is barely left with its original stone walls. No worries. The much larger modern-day megapolis of New Delhi has hundreds of thousands of individual brick walls that flank its roads and streets, colonies and slums, bazars and suburbs. These walls are full of idiosyncratic personalities, and tend to be plastered with all sorts of advertising flyers. Some ads are banal, some are funny, some are sad, and some are shockingly crude. Together, the wall flyers show the city’s inner life, inadvertently betraying the anxieties and aspirations of its citizens.

One afternoon, a young man is seen stamping a roadside wall with such flyers near the New Delhi railway station. (HT)

One afternoon, a young man is seen stamping a roadside wall with such flyers near the New Delhi railway station—see photo. He is putting up vacancies for a job opening. The man is holding a fat stack of flyers, plus a jar of gum. Politely declining to give his name, he says that each day he walks through the city pasting various sorts of flyers on the walls.

As an ode to his “regular salary wali job,”and to understand something of our complicated city, here are textual samples selected from many, many wall flyers spotted over the course of months. Names and contact details withheld.

“Call me to find a solution for the following problems: obstruction in plans to travel abroad, getting rid of husband’s mistress, curing infertility, court problems, love marriage, ruthon ko manana (placating the annoyed), pyar mein dokha (betrayal in love), receiving blood-splattered letters”

“My son, age 32 years, left home without informing anyone on 21 September at 9.30am. He is 5 feet 7 inches, wheatish complexion, in brown T-shirt and grey shorts. Suitable reward for helpful information”

“Loan and more loan. From 10000 rupees to 3000000 rupees. No guarantor needed. Loan given in 15 minutes flat”

“This is to inform that the shop will remain closed due to the death of our Chachi ji”

“With 100% money back guarantee! First time in any coaching. Special spoken English course—admission open!”

“Boys and girls—free recruitment! Waiters job in a 5-star hotel in Delhi. 1500 rupees daily. Free food + housing arrangement + free Wi-Fi”

“Missing dog. Bagheera. Indie. Black with a white left paw. Missing for 18 days now. She is friendly and timid”

“After Breakup Gym—fitness for life. One month—800 rupees”

“Free home visit. All type body massage. At all hours”

“Gold Medallist Baba! God willing, I won’t let anybody suffer in love affair. My promise! All big and small problems solved within three hours of house visit. Sad and distressed people must certainly call”