BENGALURU: There is a pleasant surprise in store for visitors and passengers at railway stations in Bengaluru Division -- sculptures, paintings, murals and art pieces are coming up on the walls of the stations, until now bereft of any adornment.
The Railways signed an MoU with Hubballi-based startup Artwaley, which took up beautification of stations. Additional Divisional Railway Manager Kusuma Hariprasad said they entered a five-year agrement with Art Street International Solutions Pvt Ltd (Artwaley) to enhance the travelling experience of commuters.
“These are being done as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility of the division. In a phased manner, KSR Bengaluru, Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal, Krishnaraja Pura, Yelahanka and Malleswaram are being beautified,” she said.
In the first phase, KSR, Yelahanka and SMVT are being redone. A walk around KSR Station reveals many eye-catching installations. A Gandhi statue and chakra have come up at the main entry of KSR Station while a ‘Make in India’ lion using scrap material has come up in front of the artificial waterfall. A model train, too, has made its appearance in the concourse area.
In Yelahanka, beautiful framed paintings adorn the walls of the general waiting hall. The aesthetically pleasing SMVT Station has been improved further. “At SMVT, we have paintings displayed in the upper class waiting room and reserved lounge. Their appeal has been enhanced with soothing lighting too,” she said.
Art installations are also proposed for these stations. “A massive Garden City Pot and an artistic Gandaberunda at the KSR entry on Platform 7 figure among them, while a huge Channapatna top will come up at SMVT,” she added. The agreement with the startup is for a period of five years. Artwaley previously partnered with South Western Railway Zone for the beautification of railway stations in Hubballi and Mysuru Divisions.