
The Sawai Madhopur railway station in Rajasthan has become one of the most beautiful stations in the country, with spectacular paintings and graffiti spread across its walls. Here is a look at the brilliant station that will make tourists feel like being at the Ranthambore National Park itself.
The Sawai Madhopur railway station in Rajasthan has become one of the most beautiful stations in the country, with spectacular paintings and graffiti spread across its walls.
The station that welcomes a large number of tourists every year – thanks to the Ranthambore National Park located in the city, is getting a complete makeover.
The project is being funded by the World Wildlife Fund India (WWF-I), and the station walls now depict the flora and fauna of the region. The vision behind this project is to make tourists aware about conservation in Ranthambore, right from the station itself. The legendary banyan tree of Ranthambore covers one of the station walls – high and mighty, its roots are spread across a large area. Then there are tigers, leopards, hyenas and so much more.
The idea, conceptualized by one India’s most respected wildlife experts and conservationists, Valmik Thapar, was discussed with the Ministry of Railways and they accepted the proposal.
About 20 artists have been working on this project for two months now, and they have covered 7,000 square feet area of the station.
An artist from the Ranthambore School of Art, Gajanand Singh, is leading the work.
“The station has become a living art museum of wildlife. The junglescape has created a buzz. People are curious, excited and are asking questions, taking photographs. It is generating awareness and will have other ripple effects,” Valmik Thapar told DailyO.
A makeover of the Bharatpur railway station with a Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary theme, and painting the coaches of the Kota-Nizamuddin Jan Shatabdi that is often used by tourists going to Ranthambore, are also part of the project in the coming two phases.