ART EXPRESS
Wildlife, epic tales of love and betrayal, all etched in fine art on the walls of these railway stations. It’s no wonder they won top prizes in a national competition
Atiger crouching in a tree, peacocks strutting along the walls, exotic birds peeking around the pillars. It’s no wonder that the stations leading to Maharashtra’s Tadoba national park — Ballarshah and Chandrapur — tied for first place. For the first time, the Indian Railways’ annual cleanliness contest included an award for beautification, and the 62 entries from across 11 of the 17 railway zones were stunning examples of what is possible when regional governments work with local artists.
Madhubani in Bihar and Tamil Nadu’s Madurai were tied in second place. The first station features intricate Ramayanathemed work by over 140 artists. The latter is covered in vibrant temple art.
Three stations — Gandhidham in Gujarat, Kota in Rajasthan and Secunderabad in Telangana — won third place. The paintings at Gandhidham focused on the Kutch festival, Kota was covered in Kota-Bundi art and Secunderabad showcased the state’s Cheriyal form. The results were announced on May 2. Prizes ranged from ₹10 lakh to ₹3 lakh.
“This is a fantastic effort by the Railways,” says Umashankar Kumar, chief public relations officer for South Central Railways, which manages Secunderabad station. “The chance that local artists got all over the country to showcase their art to the world makes it even more special.”
It’s a wonderful way of helping local art reach the public through public spaces, adds Radhi Parekh, who works to promote regional arts and is founder-director of the Mumbai craft gallery, Artisans’.
“Madhubani is what we have done all our lives,” says Manju Mishra, 46, who was among the artists responsible for that award-winning station.
“So when the railway ministry announced in the papers that they were looking for artists to paint on the station walls, we volunteered. Now we have also received a share of the prize.”