This year has been a reminder to tend to the little spaces on the internet I call my own with more care, starting with https://indiastreetlettering.com/.
I set up this website years ago to collect photographs I take of street lettering around the country, but Iโve been terrible at keeping it up-to-date. That changes now. And if I can keep myself motivated, Iโll share a picture from it here every week ๐ค๐ผ
Nastaliq, Devanagari and Latin come together on this sign for a traditional medicine centre, where space is expertly carved out for each script without cramping their styles.
๐ Shastri Market, Amritsar (Punjab)
๐
December 2017
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/house-of-surgery/
An Art Deco postcard from Mumbai ๐
๐ Oval Maidan, Mumbai (Maharashtra)
๐
May 2016
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/queens-court/
One of the things I miss about living in Bangalore is the old neon signs on MG Road, many decrepit now. This one is a favourite: from the swash of the โVโ to pairing the narrow script with the squarish sans, and the ampersand to the subtly similar โkโ in both styles.
๐ MG Road, Bangalore (Karnataka)
๐
October 2019
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/vijayalakshmi-silks-sarees/
An unexpected bit of Cyrillic in the heart of Delhi on this bilingual plaque marking the statue of Russian poet, Aleksandr Pushkin. Over the years, the bloated Devanagari เคถ in this sign has gone from pet peeve to something I have a soft spot for.
๐ Mandi House, Delhi
๐
November 2018
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/alekasandr-pushkins-statue/
This hand-painted sign is so clever to use the eyes usually associated with the goddess Kali to create the chandra bindu in the word เคฎเคพเค (Hindi for mother). The flourishes are not a bad touch either.
๐ Swaroop Nagar, Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh)
๐
January 2019
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/maa/
On every trip to Ahmedabad, I am struck by how easily the Gujarati script is moulded into to geometric forms, sometimes abstract enough to stump me and my novice reading skills. Last time around, I noticed this sign for a cycle repair shop that I loved: its compact shapes, gently curved strokes and undulating baseline.
๐ Shahpur, Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
๐
December 2018
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/naveen-repairing-centre/
Go for the birds, stay for the hand-painted letters! If I was responsible for getting people to Okhla Bird Sanctuary, thatโs what Iโd be telling them.
Take this welcome sign for instance, well-intentioned but lovingly crooked. The เคง in the เคฆเฅเคง conjunct is beyond tiny and my favourite bit: the shrike has pushed the เฅ matra off the stem in the เคนเฅ.
๐ Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Noida (Uttar Pradesh)
๐
February 2022
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/okhla-bird-sanctuary/
#IndiaStreetLettering #Noida #Handpainted #OkhlaBirdSanctuary
That loopy cursive has my heart!
๐ Car Street, Bangalore (Karnataka)
๐
August 2016
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/champaka-distributors/
These two signs for the same building are in gold, on ground-level, and most importantly, completely and utterly dismissive of visually matching Devanagari and Latin scripts. I wrote a little bit about them in my newsletter https://mailchi.mp/05e0957f4a95/typographic-eye3-cp-type-tour a few months ago.
๐ Connaught Place, Delhi
๐
November 2019
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/indra-palace/ + https://indiastreetlettering.com/indra-palace-2/
When I visited Chennai five years ago, I spent a morning photographing signs for hardware stores in George Town. Among them was this one for Quality Machine Tools, which featured the most delicious, high-contrast Tamil lettering.
๐ George Town, Chennai
๐
March 2018
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/quality-machine-tools/
Gotta love the sign for a century and a half old temple, which features three scripts โ Devanagari, Latin and Nastaliq โ and a suggestion, perhaps, of a more syncretic time.
I donโt think I recall the word โpanditโ being abbreviated with a raised โTโ ever before.
๐ Kankhal, Haridwar (Uttarakhand)
๐
February 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/temple-of-ganga-and-bhagirath/
#IndiaStreetLettering #Devanagari #Nastaliq #Latin #Haridwar
I am always drawn to signs that turn up on homes, like this one warning visitors and burglars of the resident canine. The illustration of the agitated dog and the flamboyant โWโ are such nice touches.
๐ Defence Colony, Bangalore (Karnataka)
๐
February 2016
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/beware-of-dogs/
Iโve been fascinated with the Modi Flour Mills building and the letters on its faรงade for as long as I can remember. Growing up, it was the location for many a detective story I concocted.
I finally got some images of its signs last week. Must go back for more on a sunnier day, but until then, please enjoy these larger than life wood letters in Devanagari and Latin โ pigeons for scale ๐คญ
๐ Okhla, Delhi
๐
August 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/tag/modi-flour-mills/
It wouldnโt be a type walk https://bangaloreinternationalcentre.org/event/men-of-faith-letters-of-commerce/ if I didnโt notice a sign for the first time while showing folks around a neighbourhood where Iโve rambled so much.
Hidden in an alley off MG Road is this beautiful sign. It has sent me down a rabbit hole trying to learn more about Yusuf Sait, who was I believe was the royal tailor to the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysuru.
๐ MG Road, Bangalore (Karnataka)
๐
June 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/gulzaray-yoosoofi/
This mural celebrating Rabindranath Tagore on the wall of the Bengalee Associationโs building in Bangalore is a treat, especially for its cursive Bangla letterforms.
๐ Ulsoor, Bangalore (Karnataka)
๐
September 2019
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/bengalee-association/
Halloween ๐ป has come early to India Street Lettering because it is awash with pictures from the Nishatganj Cemetery ๐ชฆ in Lucknow.
๐ Nishatganj Cemetery, Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)
๐
September 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/tag/nishatganj-cemetery/
#IndiaStreetLettering #Lucknow #NishatganjCemetery #GravestoneTypography
When in Haridwar earlier this year, I photographed a collection of signs that all featured the conjunct เคถเฅเคฐ (as part of the word เคถเฅเคฐเฅ) in an effort to document the myriad ways in which sign makers interpreted the same shape in different styles and materials. These and other signs feature in my latest newsletter https://mailchi.mp/matratype/typographic-eye-10-karthik-malli-interview about script standardisation.
๐ Kankhal & Mayapur, Haridwar (Uttarakhand)
๐
February 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/tag/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0-collection/
I am all for this marriage of Mirza Ghalib with art deco in the sign for a cultural institute in Delhi that celebrates the famed poetโs work and legacy.
๐ Nizamuddin West, New Delhi
๐
November 2018
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/ghalib-academy/
#IndiaStreetLettering #Latin #Delhi #Ghalib #GhalibAcademy #ArtDeco
Signs on government buildings are usually rather insipid, and so I was pleasantly surprised to see this delightful sign for Bapu Bhawan เคฌเคพเคชเฅ เคญเคตเคจ on the state secretariat in Lucknow.
I love its complete lack of curves and large open knots: there is something so rigid yet playful about it.
๐ Hazratganj, Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)
๐
September 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/bapu-bhawan/
Lucknow sure knows how to party ๐บ๐ผ I was mesmerised by this DJ/band tempo and the excellent hand-painted letters on it.
๐ Lalbagh, Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)
๐
September 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/ram-dj-band/
Long time, no #IndiaStreetLettering. Todayโs spotlight is on this excellent sign for a DTP shop in Kolkata. I would trust a print shop with such impeccable taste, wouldnโt you?
๐ Sahitya Parishad Street, Kolkata (West Bengal)
๐
December 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/art-life/
A street lined with hardware stores in Kolkata. The extra, extra wide Bengali on the K. C. Mookerji sign is just fantastic โฅ๏ธ
๐ Nirmal Chandra Street, Kolkata (West Bengal)
๐
December 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/k-c-mookerji-son/
I had long wanted to go see this sign for Tipografia Sadananda in Panjim, and I finally made it last year.
It is a beautiful design, whether you look at the dots on the โiโ, or the sinuous, headline-less Devanagari.
The shop was closed when I visited, but a Government Gazette from 1967 tells me that it had been around in the early 60s, with proprietors Dattaram and Vinaeca Vamon Naik.
๐ Altinho, Panjim (Goa)
๐
November 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/tipografia-sadananda/
More from Panjim โฌ๏ธ
One establishment, but two signs in two languages, albeit in one script.
How would you even describe the style on the English sign?
๐ Altinho, Panjim (Goa)
๐
November 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/g-x-verleker-sons-jewellers/ + https://indiastreetlettering.com/g-x-verlecar-joalharia/
Several parts of India are reeling under a devastating heatwave. Temperatures where I live, for instance, are set to touch 47ยฐC today ๐ฅต This sign for an ice-cream shop in Lucknow feels most apt to share.
๐ Lalbagh, Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)
๐
September 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/india-ice-cream/
A small collection of signs from Kolkata for names folks have given their homes. I love how the letterforms have been poured into containers of different shapes and have adapted their forms: a reminder that Indic scripts are more flexible and playful than what most fonts would have us believe.
๐ Chandni Chowk, Kolkata (West Bengal)
๐
December 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/tag/residence/
The sign for Singbalโs Book House, near Immaculate Conception Church in Panjim, really stands out for how well-preserved it is. Two layers of wood stuck together, the soft edges, and arched baseline all come together rather beautifully in this sign.
๐ Altinho, Panjim (Goa)
๐
November 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/singbals-book-house/
This sign in the busy streets of Lucknowโs Aminabad took my breath away โ so unexpected and beautiful. It adorns a building in a state of pretty serious disrepair. No clue what the sign was for or how much longer it will survive, but at least I have this photograph.
๐ Aminabad, Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)
๐
September 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/salazar/
Flipping the pen angle of Latin letterforms is one of my favourite tropes in painted signs in India. This one is so elegantly executed too ๐๐ผ
๐ Fontainhas, Panjim (Goa)
๐
November 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/yog-mandir/
An unexpected trio of scripts in Hyderabad โ Latin, Nastaliq and Gujarati. Not to mention, an especially fancy, golden sign for what is essentially a fruit shop.
๐ Near Charminar, Hyderabad (Telangana)
๐
February 2024
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/haji-abdulla-sidick-co-general-fruit-merchant/
How does one even begin to make sense of this sign? Chop suey letters (https://laughingsquid.com/chop-suey-font/) to spell out the name of a Hindu god. A bird for an โSโ โ donโt miss it backward claws. And all this for a tailor who specialises in womenโs clothing.
๐ Nowshera Market, Leh (Ladakh)
๐
September 2024
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/shiva-tailor/
Iโm always fawning over Devanagari letters that hang from undulating headlines (case in point https://us12.campaign-archive.com/?u=00db3d2423772a3f86d6e22a1&id=3b703e5ecb). These ones, crafted in wood, are particularly delicious.
Of course, nothing is perfect. The sign also features my favourite pet peeve โ unconnected half and full letters in a conjunct ๐คท๐ฝ
๐ Kankhal, Haridwar (Uttarakhand)
๐
February 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/tyaagmurti-swami/
I photographed these two signs for tent houses in Chandni Chowk yesterday. Definitely not in the best shape anymore, but that takes nothing away from just how beautiful and decorative the shop names are ๐คฉ
Any guesses for whatโs oozing out of เคเคเคฆเคฎเฅเคฌเคพ? ๐
๐ HC Sen Marg, Delhi
๐
October 2024
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/tag/tent-house/
Monospaced, tiled signs on Delhiโs old government housing are a disappearing breed and long-time favourites. I adore them so much that I put them in zine last year https://www.matratype.com/shop/zine-03-tiled-wayfinding-delhi.
๐ Lodhi Colony, Delhi
๐
May 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/1926-2/
Adore this charming, counterless sign ๐คฉ
๐ Patto Colony, Panjim (Goa)
๐
November 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/camilla/
Building a bungalow is a far-fetched dream for me, but if I could, I know the lettering on it would have to be this great.
Things to notice here โ layers of wood build the letterforms up to be deliciously 3D; the split stem terminals are a lovely touch reminiscent of Tuscan styles from the Latin universe; and the presence of Calcutta-style letters and numerals that arenโt canonical.
๐ Aishbagh, Lucknow (UP)
๐
December 2024
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/sighting/lakshman-ashram/
From last postโs bungalow to a palace this time โ check out the sign for the exquisite Art Deco building, Dhanraj Mahal, in Mumbai. @tanyatypes tells me this new sign was installed last year after the building underwent renovations. The letter widths are admittedly wonky, but the play of light and shadow makes it ๐๐ผ
More about the building and its architecture here https://www.artdecomumbai.com/research/princely-states-and-the-emergence-of-art-deco-in-bombay/
๐ Fort, Mumbai (Maharashtra)
๐
November 2024
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/sighting/dhanraj-mahal/
In 1858, the East India Company officially extended its mission from trading to colonising the Indian subcontinent, as a result of which the British implemented direct and indirect rule in the region.[1] An area under direct rule would be controlled entirely by the British, which included departments like education, health, judiciary, municipality, and police, to
Meet the first faux-script sign on India Street Lettering, coming straight to you from Panjim. Iโm always annoyed when I see Samarkan https://www.dafont.com/samarkan.font in the wild, but this makes me less mad ๐คท๐ฝ
๐ Altinho, Panjim (Goa)
๐
April 2025
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/sighting/ganesh-prasad/
If you attended BLAG Meet @blag recently, youโll know I am improving style-related tags on India Street Lettering, starting with Devanagari signs like this one.
Remarkable not only for its vertical setting and Art Deco shapes, the sign has outstrokes on vertical stems, a Bombay style เคถ and a playful floating เฅ matra.
Describing the parts hopefully helps make understanding, even recreating, the whole easier.
๐ Mapusa (Goa)
๐
November 2023
๐ https://indiastreetlettering.com/sighting/vaishya-bhuvan/
@matratype Lovely, although the shades on the bottom line are interesting, omitted where you'd expect them on the O, G, and D.
Do you have a tag/category on the site for these types of signs?
@matratype Yes, it's consistent within its own rules, and perhaps works better on the second word than the first.
Here's another example of using just a single colour to create the illusion of dimensionality. I wonder if there's a technical term for the illusion of positive spaceโin this case the lettersโformed by the negative space around the shadows?
The panel is by Stan Wilkinson, and can be seen in its entirety on this page about the short biopic we made:
https://bl.ag/stan/
Pooja Saxena
Nylon 6-6
Steven Deobald
Sam at BLAG
Max Iorsh