New Delhi, Sept. 21 -- In a quiet room of the Paul residence in central Delhi on Saturday morning, rows of calendars, matchbox labels, and fading prints offered a curious glimpse into the history of India-one told through scraps of paper that once adorned kitchens and shop walls. The occasion was The City as a Museum: Delhi Edition, a festival by DAG (formerly Delhi Art Gallery) that opened private collections to the public.

Arts patron Priya Paul, long fascinated by India's visual culture, welcomed a small group of visitors to her home. "I started collecting this popular art imagery when I moved to Delhi in 1988-89," she told HT. "I kept seeing these works on paper being destroyed, so I told myself, 'let me just buy them'. Even when the...