‘Mahatma Gandhi’ looks over Churchgate

A gigantic multi-coloured mural of Mahatma Gandhi, went on display at the iconic Churchgate station building recently. This mural had earned appreciation from millions of Western Railway commuters. The permanent mural, sponsored by Asian Paints Ltd as part of its CSR activities, has been painted by renowned Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra and his team of 52 associates and technicians over 18 days. It is an adaption of a photograph of Mahatma Gandhi at the railway station in the early 1940s clicked by Kulwant Roy and is now owned by Aditya Arya Archive and India Photo Archive, said Bhakar. This photo was taken when India was at the helm of freedom struggle when the railways and its stations played an important role in spreading word of the Independence movement. The mural is 81-feet tall and 54-feet wide, showing Mahatma Gandhi preparing to get off from the train that has just arrived. "The mural aims to use the power of public art to create a dialogue and join people under a positive message of peace. WR's Mumbai Division accorded the proposal of Asian Paints in collaboration with St+art India Foundation for the beautification of exterior facade of the Churchgate station, which is also the headquarters of WR," said Bhakar.

The mural weaves together one of the most iconic leaders of India's freedom movement who is also revered around the world as the ‘Apostle of Peace’ on the facade of one of Mumbai's oldest railway stations.

Kobra, known worldwide for his photorealistic portraits, rich in colour and geometric kaleidoscopic shapes, pays tributes to historical leaders in the name of peace, thereby creating memorable landmarks in different cities globally since the past decade. Among Kobra's most celebrated pieces of gigantic artwork include the portraits of Oscar Niemeyer in Sao Paolo; Albert Einstein and Mother Teresa in Los Angeles; ‘Kiss’ in Times Square, New York.