Kolkata's streets are coloured in vibrant shades, thanks to this initiative by a few citizens concerned about beautifying the city. Not only is it nice to look at, it imparts a little historical knowledge as well!
If you wander on the streets of South Kolkata, you may notice bold colours and historic paintings of famous personalities or monuments. Don’t be surprised—this is part of an initiative to spread art and a slice of history to those visiting the city.
When Mudar Pathreya, a heritage activist, saw an electricity box painted with a picture of Mickey Mouse, he was inspired to transform all the boxes of the city.
Not only did he want them to become colourful works of art, but also wanted to impart a lesson in history with each piece created!
Two artists, Santosh Das and Ranjit Das, are the ones behind the vibrant colours!
Though both of them have no formal training in art, they have a talent for creating colourful murals across the city.
The boxes correspond to personalities or monuments in the area. For example, near Park Street, you can find a box painted with Mother Teresa, after whom the street is named.
“Eventually we want to propagate this form of art throughout Kolkata, and then hopefully, to all of India,” says Partha Roy, one of the members of the team.
You can see more photographs from the streets of Kolkata, below!
You may also like: From Tagore to Netaji, India’s Oldest Coffee Houses are an Iconic Part of History!
(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)
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