Childhood memories to be painted across the city

Patel Chowk Metro station has become a centre of attraction among commuters with the installation of a wall-art based on childhood comic characters.

As part of a city-wide initiative “Bookscapes in the City” by children literature festival Bookaroo, several Amar Chitra Katha characters, including Suppandi, Shikari Shambhu and Kalia, have found place on a wall-art at the Patel Chowk Metro museum.

Created by artist Charbak Dipta, the mural at the Metro station is the first in a series of 10 colourful illustrations from children books across the city.

While the initiative marks Bookaroos 10th birth anniversary, it also celebrates Amar Chitra Kathas 50 years. “This is going to be the 10th year of Bookaroo. So we thought it is best to celebrate the 10th year by giving 10 good-looking walls to the city of Delhi.

“The walls would be primarily painted by the original illustrator of the children books,” Swati Roy, cofounder Bookaroo, said.

Among fictional characters from children’s magazine Tinkle, the first wallart also shows eminent people like Kalpana Chawla, Mother Teresa and Bhagat Singh.

Among fictional characters from children’s magazine Tinkle, the first wall-art also shows eminent people like Kalpana Chawla, Mother Teresa and Bhagat Singh

The next wall in the series is scheduled to be created in June in the SPYM Centre, Mukherjee Nagar by artist Arup Chatterjee on behalf of children book publisher, Katha.

“We have tried to keep different kinds of walls. Like the second one is going to be at a de-addiction centre and the third in Delhi Public Library.

“So, we are looking at different qualities of wall. This is to make sure that maximum number of children... and different segment of children have the benefit of seeing art happening in front of them,” Ms Roy added.

The mural at the Patel Chowk Metro museum will be on display for the next three months. This years festival will take place at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts on November 25 and 26.