HYDERABAD: Metro trains in Hyderabad will now be designed with images related to Telangana’s art and culture, including festivities such as Bathakumma, visuals of indigenous folk and classical dances and art like silver filigree ware.
The Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL), in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism’s Department of Culture, has introduced the concept of Metro trains with decals of images relating to the State’s art and culture.
Speaking to Express, Mamidi Harikrishna, Director of Culture, said this was an effort to remind and make people in urban areas aware of Telangana’s heritage through the Metro trains as it has become the backbone of urban commute. Currently, only one of these decorated Metro trains is running as a pilot project on Corridor II, however, the plan is to expand it across various corridors.
“We gave HRML photos representing various folk, tribal, classical art forms and even Hyderabadi Deccani art forms. Now, the magnanimity of Telangana culture and art has now been placed as a wrapper on certain trains, which enhanced the beauty of the trains too,” said the Director.
The Ministry aims to target the urban metropolitan crowd that travels in the Metro trains and also does not have enough knowledge about Telangana heritage. “We have divided the concept into three themes — classical art forms, folk and tribal art form, and Deccani art forms. For example, under classical, we have visuals of Kuchipudi and Perini, an ancient war-preparatory dance form. Under folk and tribal art, we have included Oggudholu, Chindu Yakshaganam and Gussadi, a tribal dance form.”
“We have also added imagery of women singing ghazals, sufi music and sessions of mushaira to represent the Hyderabadi tehzeeb and Deccani culture,” he added.