I’ve just come across a copy of The Water Cookbook which I was given by Lyla Mehta, produced by part of our project looking at water conflicts in peri-urban Delhi. It’s an amazing set of illustrations by Bhagwati Prasad of the Delhi-based research centre Sarai programme, which uses art and media to respond to and discuss urbanization.
(Edit: the book is available to download free as a PDF. Thanks, Shilpi!)
The illustrations are a striking blend of surrealism, Hindu mythology and modern technology, placed in the book alongside short stories of everyday life in the city.
Copies of the book were given to some of the Delhi-based stakeholders involved in the project. It was published alongside a short film, photos and more traditional academic publications.
For larger versions, see our Flickr gallery of these images.
For more information about the research, see the Peri-urban project page.