KUMBH 2019

PA I N T MY C I T Y
M A K I N G P R AYA G R A J
A POSTER CITY
Commissioned and Published by Prayagraj Mela Authority
© Prayagraj Mela Authority
2019
ISBN No. “978-81-942927-0-8”

Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Ashish Kumar Goel, IAS
Divisional Commissioner-Prayagraj &
Chairman-Prayagraj Mela Authority
Editors
Vijay Kiran Anand, IAS, Mela Officer, Prayagraj
Deleep Kumar Trigunayat, PCS, Additional Mela Officer, Prayagraj
Vivek Singh, Project Coordinator, Prayagraj
Dinesh Kumar, Deputy Director, Tourism, Prayagraj
Anupam Srivastava, Regional Tourism Officer, Prayagraj

Edited, Designed and Printed by

Outlook Publishing (India) Pvt Ltd,
AB-10 Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029
Printed at: International Print-O-Pac Ltd,
C 4-C 11, Phase-II, Noida
Photography: Tribhuvan Tiwari / Getty Images / Crayons / DIPR,
Government of Uttar Pradesh
Design: Deepak Sharma
Production: Shashank Dixit
Editorial Coordinator: Sasidharan Kollery

Cover Photograph: Tribhuvan Tiwari

Disclaimer: Due care and diligence has been taken while editing
and printing the Book. Neither the Publisher nor the Printer of the
Book holds any responsibility for any mistake that may have crept in
inadvertently. Mela Authority and Outlook group will be free from
any liability for damages and losses of any nature arising from or
related to the content. All disputes are subject to the jurisdiction of
competent courts in Prayagraj. The reporting and writing work in this
book has been done by a team of writers from The Outlook Group.
The views and opinions expressed in it are those of the writers and do
not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Government
of Uttar Pradesh.
 Kumbh Mela (the festival of the sacred Pitcher) is the largest peaceful
congregation of pilgrims on earth, during which participants bathe or take
a dip in a sacred river. Devotees believe that by bathing in the Ganges one is
freed from sins liberating him/her from the cycle of birth and death. Millions
of people reach the place without any invitation. The congregation includes
ascetics, saints, sadhus, aspirants-kalpavasis and visitors. The festival is
held at Allahabad (Prayagraj), Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik every four years
by rotation and is attended by millions of people irrespective of caste, creed
or gender. Its primary bearers, however, belong to akhadas and ashrams,
religious organisations, or are individuals living on alms. Kumbh Mela
plays a central spiritual role in the country, exerting a mesmeric influence
on ordinary Indians. The event encapsulates the science of astronomy,
astrology, spirituality, ritualistic traditions, and social and cultural customs
and practices, making it extremely rich in knowledge. As it is held in four
different cities in India, it involves different social and cultural activities,
making this a culturally diverse festival. Knowledge and skills related to
the tradition are transmitted through ancient religious manuscripts, oral
traditions, historical travelogues and texts produced by eminent historians.
However, the the teacher-student relationship of the sadhus in the ashrams
and akhadas remains the most important method of imparting and
safeguarding knowledge and skills relating to Kumbh Mela.

We thank our supporters and

sponsors, especially the main Inscribed in 2017 (12 COM) on the Representative List
supporter, Namami Gange of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

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 NARENDRA MODI
Prime Minister, India

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 PM SPEAKS

In the exhibition here, I have

seen how the city has been
beautified with attractive
paintings. The effort to depict
the legacy of Prayagraj and the
country through these paintings
is commendable and will be a
splendid experience for pilgrims
and tourists. Keeping this in
view, I have invited people from
all over the world to be a part of
this Kumbh. In the past one-and-
a-half years, I have been inviting
everyone to visit Prayagraj with
their friends and witness this
mega fair

Shri Narendra Modi

Hon’ble Prime Minister, India
December 16, 2018
Prayagraj

Ganga aarti by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

1 0 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 1
 CM SPEAKS

Kumbh 2019 will be different

from previous Kumbhs.
The difference will be seen
everywhere in Prayagraj —
from walls to walls, streets to
streets, and places to places. It
will be a pleasant surprise for
the devotees. Through these
paintings, we are depicting
the story of Kumbh, history of
Prayagraj, and the country’s
cultural heritage. We are also
welcoming guests from all over
the world
Yogi Adityanath
Hon’ble Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister

Yogi Adityanath at Sangam
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 KUMBH 2019
An aerial view of a night shot of Kumbh 2019,
with all its brightness and activity,
fervour and meditation

1 4 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 5
 GUINNESS
WORLD RECORD
AT KUMBH 2019
Kumbh 2019 set a record for most
contributions to handprint painting in
eight hours. 7,664 citizens, including
saints, students, visitors, tourists, piligrims,
government and police personnel, children,
disabled people, women, foreign dignitaries,
and people from other walks of life left their
handprints on a huge canvas on March 1,
2019. The earlier record was in Seoul, in which
4,675 people participated

1 6 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 7

Scanned by CamScanner
 These photographs show the scale of the handprints,
the length and width of the wall, and the people who participated in the event

1 8 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 9
At the event, people came from different localities
and different professions. There were locals and
foreigners, private citizens and government
employees. There were no gender barriers as men and
women participated enthusiastically. Even the security
personnel, including police officers, and civil servants
were involved.

PA I N T MY C I T Y / 2 1
 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 24 CHAPTER4

CHAPTER1
PAINTINGS OF 136
PAINT MY CITY
KUMBH, PRAYAGRAJ & 44
PAINT MY CITY CHAPTER5

GENESIS 82 ARTISTS OF 184

PAINT MY CITY
CHAPTER2
CHAPTER6
MAKING OF 86
PUBLIC REACTION TO 204
PAINT MY CITY
PAINT MY CITY
CHAPTER3
LOGISTICS OF 108
PAINT MY CITY

Partners in Paint My City

Prayag Railway Junction

2 2 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 2 3
 INTRODUCTION TO
PAINT
MY CITY
I
N early 2017, Uttar Pradesh government initiated
grand plans to make Kumbh 2019 one of the most
eye-catching and popular religious festivals on
the globe. Hon’ble Chief Minister Yogi Adityanathji
wanted to showcase it to the world with his visionary
ideas. Anticipating that millions of pilgrims and
visitors would congregate during the two-month
festival in Prayagraj, he envisaged sustainable
infrastructure, impeccable cleanliness and impressive
ambience of the holy city.
One of the projects that could transform the city’s
ambience, and took concrete shape, was Paint My
City, which aimed to paint two million square feet of
walls and public spaces within a few months.
The Prayagraj Mela Authority executed the project
with passion and earnestness. It gave a mandate
to empanelled art agencies and artists to spread
a message of harmony among communities and
preserve ethnic values of the city. Moreover, Paint
My City paintings would remain on walls beyond
the event and, hence, their longevity was necessary.
Accordingly, the Mela Authority took care to depict

This painting on Indira

Bhawan, Civil Lines, indicates
the need for a convergence
between traditions, modernity
and spirituality
24 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 2 5
 INTRODUCTION

much more than just the festival of Kumbh. It took

steps to motivate citizens, and give them a sense
of pride in their historical, religious, spiritual, and
cultural legacy.
Improvement in city’s ambience, mass appeal, and
public interest were key ingredients of the project.
Mela Authority wanted the city to look better through
Paint My City. It aimed to transform it from a ‘city
of paper posters’ to ‘A Poster City’. It wanted people,
both local and tourists, to love the paintings. The
walls were to be made landmark spots for people
to admire. A sense of involvement was required to
bring in the process of change. The Mela Authority
achieved these objectives because of meticulous
planning, careful monitoring and successful
implementation.
For instance, its decision to involve professional
art agencies, along with student volunteers from
local schools and colleges, was driven by the desire
for higher quality and longer sustainability of
the paintings. They should last longer and look
spectacular. They should receive critical acclaim
internationally. It was also felt that professional
agencies with vast experience would involve
renowned artists; this was certainly true for the five

A real sadhu poses in front

of a wall painting full of his
brethren; see how the eyes,
beardm and clothes look
almost similar
2 6 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 2 7
INTRODUCTION

art agencies which were chosen through a tendering

process.
Financial closure of the project was achieved with
funds from central Namami Gange, Uttar Pradesh
State Tourism, Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural &
Urban), and Smart City Mission. The Mela Authority
decided to converge Paint My City with various
schemes of the government to spread messages of
specific schemes, as well as those of Kumbh, and
cultural heritage of Prayagraj and Uttar Pradesh.
While it specified overall themes of the paintings,
which were envisaged earlier, sub-themes were
continuously updated, added and nuanced. Art
agencies were given a free hand to come up with
ideas, artworks and mock-ups and present them to
the Content Committee formed to vet designs under
Paint My City.
Progress of the work was monitored at regular
intervals. Agencies and artists who were behind
schedule were urged to hasten their work. Progress
was extensively documented so that the stakeholders
and artists were aware of what was being painted,
where and the extent of completion. The five agencies
regularly met the Mela Authority, Commissioner and
other stakeholders for discussions.

Prayag Railway Junction

2 8 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 2 9
 INTRODUCTION

What was also important, both from the

administration and artists’ point of view, was public
involvement and public reaction to Paint My City. The
Mela Authority was right to assume that this project
would create excitement among local people. On
several locations, children asked their parents if they
could participate in painting walls. People helped the
artists with food and tea. Locals visited sites regularly
to check work in progress.
When paintings were completed, enthusiasm of
public was heart-warming. Crowds congregated at
several sites to gaze at them. Many locations became
selfie-sites as visitors happily posed for photographs.
Even tourists were attracted to the sites; photographs
of the paintings were widely circulated in social
media, and many used them as guide to visit selected
places. Students, street vendors, professionals
and retired people said this was a big step. They
hailed the Mela Authority’s decision, efficiency and
professionalism. Many felt that it would act as a
social tool for transformation.
For 1,500 artists and other workers involved in Paint
My City, it was satisfying work as 240 million pilgrims
and visitors came to Prayagraj during Kumbh 2019.

A bird’s eye view of the

sprawling infrastructure at
Kumbh 2019, along with the
flowing holy river
3 0 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 3 1
 3/26/2019 Before the Kumbh 2019 wall painting in Prayagraj under Paint My City Scheme । ,

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3/26/2019 Paint my city campaign in Prayagraj City before Kumbh JSP - , 20 - Jansatta

த বাংলা മലയാളം ENGLISH

   
�द�ल�: शराब क �लए प नी को �र�तदार और पड़ोसी क आग परोस �दया, �गर�तार
M U R A L M AG I C M U RA L M AG IC ताज़ा
इमरानखबर
खान को सता रहा भारत के एक और 'हमले' का डर! बोले- आ मण रोकने के �लए तैयार
ROADSIDE APPARITIONS Above, buffaloes with their CANVAS CONTEXT Above, spot the real window on this railway colony

GOD’S SPECTRUM IN SAFFRON Right, a resting cow

foregrounds a vibrant, lost-in-prayer Hanuman at
Arail Ghat (art agency: Delhi Street Art); below, a
fluorescent painted horns on the walls of railway colony
(art agency: Ram Suttar); below, a dancer heads for the
truck near Shivkuti Ghat (art agency: Promicare)
wall; below, a selfie with the deer woman (both by art agency: Ram Suttar);
bottom left, a coloured sadhu appears on a tree near Sangam ghat

OWN CITY,
child at the chaukhat of a haloed Shankaracharya
in Arail Ghat (art agency: Delhi Street Art)

IN COLOUR
A tide
A tide of
of graffiti
graffiti talent
talent 3/26/2019
March 26, 2019
Paint my city campaign in Prayagraj City before Kumbh JSP -
' '

, 20 - Jansatta
takes over
takes over Allahabad
Allahabad Share:

Text &
Text & Photographs
Photographs by
by
Hindi News / रा य / कंु भः प� �टंगத से बढ़� यागराज क� ENGLISH
বাংলা മലയാളം खूबस
 रती, 20 लाख वगफ�ट इलाके
ू  .   म� द�वार� पर ' '
�बखरे रं ग
Tribhuvan Tiwari
Tribhuvan Tiwari
Written By:

A
. ,
�द�ल�: शराब क �लए प नी को �र�तदार और पड़ोसी क आग परोस �दया, �गर�तार
LLAHABAD has
LLAHABAD has aa new
new name.
name.
And Prayagraj
Prayagraj has has been
been busybusy

ताज़ा
इमरानखबर
And
painting aa new
painting new picture.
picture. A A
. .
खान को सता रहा भारत के एक और 'हमले' का डर! बोले- आ मण रोकने के �लए तैयार
कंु भः प� �टंग से बढ़� �यागराज क� खूबसरू ती, 20 लाख वगफ�ट इलाके म�
‘paint my
‘paint my city’
city’ campaign
campaign is is
transforming the
transforming the recently
recently rec­rec­ Updated:
hristened holy
hristened holy city
city with
with graffiti.
graffiti. ,
The Kumbh
The Kumbh Mela Mela organising
organising commit­
commit­ Dec 2, 2018, 03:45 PM IST
tee has
has asked
asked around
around fivefive art
art agencies
agencies
tee IN SYNC Left, a sadhu at the , .

द�वार� पर �बखरे रं ग
to fill
to fill nearly
nearly 20 lakhsq­feet
3 lakh sq­feetof of the
the city
city door of the newly painted
with colourful
with colourful murals.
murals. TheThe brief
brief is is Kumbh Mela office (art
straight: mythology
straight: mythology aroundaround Kumbh,
Kumbh, agency: Promicare)
the history
history of of Allahabad
Allahabad and and social
social
the 3/26/2019 Kumbh 2019: Prayagraj to be beautified with street art as part of 'Paint my city' ,

1ोजे�ट
programmes of
programmes of the
the government.
government. The The
budget: around
budget: around Rs Rs 30
30 crore.
crore. The
The idea
idea
IRCTC: Passengers to be able to

कंु भ मेला ा�धकरण ने 'प� ट माय �सट�' नाम के इस के �लए कर�ब 20 लाख वग फ�ट का
of commissioned
of commissioned graffiti graffiti might
might not
not gogo
too well
well withwith aa rebellious
rebellious Allahabad
Allahabad change boarding station up to 4
too
Banksy, but
Banksy, but talented
talented street
street artists
artists .' '
from across
across cities
cities have
have interpreted
interpreted hours before departure

इलाका ���ट आट ोजे � ट के �लए �चि�हत �कया गया था।

from
the brief
the brief in in spectacular
spectacular ways,ways, add­add­
March 26, 2019 - .

2
ing colour
ing colour and and vibrancy
vibrancy to to the
the city’s
city’s
walls. The
walls. The painting
painting effort
effort isis part
part ofof 52 OUTLOOK 17 December 2018 54 OUTLOOK 17 December 2018 VIDEO: Mankading
preparations
prep arations for for the
the Kumbh
Kumbh Mela Mela in in .
,
Hindi News / रा य / कंु भः प� �टंग से बढ़� यागराज क� खूबसूरती, 20 लाख वगफ�ट इलाके म� द�वार� पर
January next
January next year.
year.

जनस�ता ऑनलाइन
Here’s aa peek
Here’s peek into
into some
some of of the
the artists’
artists’

3
interpretations of
interpretations of the
the mythologies
mythologies and and

�बखरे रं ग
histories associated
histories associated with
with Allahabad.
Allahabad. We We Video : - '
caught aa massive
caught massive commuting
commuting sadhusadhu on on aa
' , Zee - .
January 13, 2019 5:12 PM
bicycle, aa peaceful
bicycle, peaceful Hanuman
Hanuman with with long
long
curly locks
curly locks inin prayer,
prayer, false
false windows
windows and and
buffaloes with
buffaloes with glow-in-the-dark
glow-in-the-dark horns horns

कंु भः प� �टंग से बढ़� �यागराज क� खब

ू सरू ती, 20 लाख वगफ�ट इलाके म�
watching the
watching the buzzing
buzzing city
city traffic
traffic go
go by.
by. OO

208
BABA PSY
BABA PSY The
The cyclist
cyclist sadhu
sadhu on
on an
an

द�वार� पर �बखरे रं ग
Allahabad University
Allahabad University boys
boys hostel
hostel https://zeenews.india.com/hindi/india/up-uttarakhand/before-the-kumbh-2019-wall-painting-in-prayagraj-under-paint-my-city-scheme/474478 1/6
wall (art
wall (art agency:
agency: Ram
Ram Suttar)
Suttar)

3/26/2019 How 100 Artists Turned Prayagraj Into India’s First ‘Street Art City’
17 December
December 2018
2018 OUTLOOK 49
OUTLOOK 49
SHARES
48 OUTLOOK 17 December 2018 17 50 OUTLOOK 17 December 2018 17 December 2018 OUTLOOK 51
was at the forefront of bringing together public art and artists since 2013, and took
कंु भ मेला ा�धकरण ने 'प� ट माय �सट�' नाम के इस ोजे�ट के �लए कर�ब 20 लाख वग फ�ट का
NEXT
3/26/2019 How 100 Artists Turned Prayagraj Into India’s First ‘Street Art City’ up the gauntlet and started exploring and surveying Prayagraj.
3/26/2019 How 100 Artists Turned Prayagraj Into India’s First ‘Street Art City’
इलाका ���ट आट ोजे�ट के �लए �चि�हत �कया गया था।
The City in Flux
जनस�ता ऑनलाइन

January 13, 2019 5:12 PM

ART , PRAYAGRAJ 208

Check Out How 100 Artists Turned Prayagraj Into SHARES

India’s First ‘Street Art City’

The task was to identify walls, bridges, buildings, water tanks and other NEXT
structures, which could host wall art and transform the place into India’s
first-
t ever street art city!
t-

by Delhi Street Art

February 26, 2019, 6:43 pm

like 5.3K Share

In preparation of the mela, roads were being expanded, new street lamps were

On my �rst trip to Allahabad (now Prayagraj) in June 2018, I was struck by the being erected, and the frenzy of new construction activity was all around. Frequent
tra�c snarls and frayed tempers and clouds of dust engulfed the city. Sceptic locals
Here, we picked walls around PCDA colony (Principal Controller of Defence Visual of the street
city’s aesthetics – and sometimes by a lack thereof. I noticed that the city had a Accounts) – sometimes just called Pension Colony – to represent river life and the
expressed dismay at the inconveniences and wondered when the city would return
collection of heritage buildings with envious gothic, art deco architecture, some of
to normalcy. daily interactions with sadhus. Ku m ar t as
which stood in a state of neglect and disrepair. par t of Paint my city
Prayagraj can be thought of as a city of �ve major parts—Civil Lines and new city Nearby, we located an ideal wall to portray renowned Prayagraj-born poet Harivansh ANI | Updated: Jan 13, 2019 09:16 IST
The growing population, however, seemed to blend with this backdrop. While Delhi across the Allahabad train junction; Chowk and old city on the other side of station;
Rai Bachchan with his poetry. Not very far, we selected the Kacheri Building in Katra
had moved on the “next generation” lighter versions, rickshaws in Prayagraj still had Triveni Ghat and Sangam area between rivers Ganga and Yamuna; Naini and Arail
to depict portraits of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Dr A P J Abdul Kalam. Prayagraj (/search?query=Prayagraj) (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Jan 12 (ANI): The
a hand-painted visual style reminiscent of the halcyon days. Ghats, west of Yamuna banks; and Jhunsi area across the Ganga.
streets of Prayagraj (/search?query=Prayagraj) have become a canvas for artists
Well, at least that’s how we split up the city to plan our initiatives. The Allahabad Junction became a massive hub of creative artwork, including as many murals with various themes are being painted. An area of 20 lakh sq.ft
The Prayagraj Mela Pradhikaran plans and executes the Kumbh Mela. It invited
platform walls, city-facing buildings, overhead water tanks, foot-over-bridges and ! 10000
creative teams to share ideas for the largest-ever street art initiative – Paint My area, has been designated for the street art projects under an initiative by Kumbh
waiting halls. ! . !
City. The task was to identify walls, bridges, buildings, water tanks and other Civil Lines Mela Authority called 'Paint my city (/search?query=Paint my city).'
500 .
structures, which could host wall art and transform the place into India’s �rst-ever
The initiative is being supported by the Prayagraj (/search?query=Prayagraj)
street art city! #GangaStory
3 2 / PA I N T MY C I T Y https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/kumbh-2019-prayagraj-to-be-beautified-with-street-art-as-part-of-paint-my-city201901122358030001/ 1/6 PA I N T MY C I T Y / 3 3
!
10000
To say that it looked like an uphill battle was an understatement. Monsoons were
soon to arrive, and that meant most of the coming months would be wet, slushy https://www.thebetterindia.com/173413/prayagraj-kumbh-2019-street-art-india/ 2/23
द�वार� पर बनीं प� �टं�स (फोटोः
! ANI) . !
500 .
and messy. 208 NEXT
 NEWS
PAINT MY CITY

Photo Essay
The Kumbh
Of Street Art
A tide of graffiti talent takes
over Allahabad

3 4 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 3 5
 An aerial view (Right) of the
tents (overlooking Jhunsi
flyover), which is where the
pilgrims throng during the
Kumbh. In Kumbh 2019,
the tents ranged from those
that provided the bare
amenities to ones that were
premium and luxurious; Yogi
Adityanath at one of the
Kumbh’s ceremonies

3 6 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 3 7
 GATEWAY TO HEAVEN
Lord Krishna and Radha (Top; Allahabad University) remind us
about the virtues of pure love; Lord Ganesha, on Galaxy Hotel
in Civil Lines, attracts people with its tantalising 3-D effect

3 8 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 3 9
GT Jawahar Flyover

4 0 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 4 1
STAKEHOLDERS
Paint My City was a wonderful opportunity to
present the vast richness in flora and fauna in the
Ganges and other rivers of the country, and depict
the conservation efforts of the National Mission
for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under the ‘Namami
Gange’ programme. We are grateful to the artists
who worked tirelessly to make world-class art
in the largest street-art project in the world. We
are happy to be a part of this campaign as the
main sponsor. Our team worked with the artists
It was a historic endeavour. Kumbh 2019 was
to make sure that apart from beautifying
an all-time success. It was an epitome of
the city, the paintings spread several
Swachhta and Suraksha. The Paint My
other messages to the younger and
City campaign added to the colour,
rural population that lived along the
energy, and the lively nature of the
banks of the Ganges and other rivers.
city during the Kumbh. The millions
These included the country’s culture
of pilgrims and tourists were all praise
of afforestation, rich heritage to
from this UNESCO-recognised largest
preserve the environment, respect and
gathering of mankind.
devotion for the rivers and mythologies
Awanish Awasthi associated with them, and how livelihoods
Additional Chief Secretary, Information, were intertwined with them. ‘Namami Gange’
Tourism and Religious Affairs, Government of Uttar Pradesh
was the lead mission for ensuring Swachh Kumbh,
where lakhs of toilets were deployed, sewage
works were completed, river-fronts and surface
improved, pollution checked in large number of
drains through bio-remediation and other in-situ
measures, and which were globally recognised
as one of the best-managed projects of this
magnitude in terms of cleanliness and waste
management. Many interventions were taken for
behaviour change within communities and among
pilgrims, including a Namami Gange pavilion.
These became the benchmarks for future events of
mass congregation.
Rajiv Ranjan Mishra
Director General, NMCG
4 2 / PA I N T MY C I T Y
Namami Gange is the Government of India’s
National Mission to Clean Ganga. It has been fully
geared up to execute point and non-pollution
abatements projects along the banks of Ganga
and to take up various other interventions, viz,
development and/or modernisation of ghats
and crematoria across the length of Ganga,
enhancement of bio-diversity, afforestation,
rural sanitation, bio-remediation of drains, STPs,
etc. NMCG and State Mission for Clean Ganga
are committed for long term sustainable
rejuvenation and ecological development
of Ganga basin system. To ensure the
beautification of the city, the Prayagraj
Mela Authority came up with a ‘Paint
My City’ campaign. It involved an
army of painters to fill the city with
bright colours. The objective was to
ensure that the message of cleanliness
and community participation went across
to the millions of pilgrims, and scores of
foreign dignitaries and officials. The painters did
their work with precision and dedication. Each
painting depicts some story related to the city, like
the portraits of famous personalities who belonged
to the city, as well as the historical monuments
In addition, the images of Gods and Goddesses,
cows, sadhus, and many more are the part of the
painting. We are thrilled that the artists did a
great job to depict the use of toilets and adoption
of modern solid and liquid waste management
techniques and linked them with Goverment’s
mission to clean river Ganga.
Dr. Srihari Pratap Shahi
Additional Project Director,
State Mission for Clean Ganga, UP
Right from the beginning, at the idea stage, we felt
that, although the largest congregation of human
beings had a historical tradition and cultural
legacy, there was a need to present Kumbh 2019
in a modern manner. Paint My City, the largest
street-art project in the world, emerged as one of
the options to marry tradition with modernity.
The other clarity was, that since the hosts of the
festival are local residents, they should be involved
in the project, and the paintings should
reflect their daily lives, and traditional
and modern beliefs. Also, throw light
on Kumbh’s religosity, spirituality,
philosophy, and sciences. At the same
time, the millions of pilgrims should
feel connected to the works. The credit
for this should also go to the five art
agencies, and their artists. One of the
challenges we faced was about content,
how to depict visuals related to our values,
traditions, mythologies, story-telling, and history,
apart from modern triumphs and achievements.
We were also careful that the content shouldn’t
lead to controversy. We felt that the project
should involve local artists of Prayagraj, and the
art agencies were urged to involve them in great
numbers.
Deleep Kumar Trigunayat
Additional Mela Officer,
Prayagraj Mela Authority
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 4 3

CHURN OF THE OCEAN
The Manthan was a favourite theme
because it symbolised the legend of
Kumbh. On this painting, at Chaufatka
Flyover, is Kurma, Lord Vishnu as a
tortoise, on which the mountain was
perched to churn the ocean
Chaupatka Flyover
4 4 / PA I N T MY C I T Y
CHAPTER1
KUMBH, PRAYAGRAJ &
PAINT
MY CITY
T
HE most important themes of street art
project at Prayagraj were the depiction of
India’s and Uttar Pradesh’s cultural heritage,
historical legacy of the city, and narrative behind the
genesis of Kumbh. In addition, the lives of pilgrims
and visitors formed a critical ingredient. In addition,
there were a number of connected themes. For
example, the Central Government’s National Mission
to Clean Ganga (Namami Gange) is a project that’s
integral to Kumbh, since Prayagraj is situated at the
confluence of three rivers, Ganga, Yamuna, and the
invisible Saraswati. In fact, under the Mission, aim
is to clean the Ganga completely, along with the
Yamuna, and the various tributaries.
On January 20, 2019, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union
Cabinet Minister, said that Ganga will be “100%
clean” by March 2020, and 80% of the project was
complete. He added that 20% excess water had begun
to flow in the river. “Our dream of a clean Ganga will
come true. This is called good governance,” said Shri.
Gadkari, Union Cabinet Minister for Water Resources,
River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation. He
explained that the Mission aims to clean 40 of the
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 4 5
K U M B H , P R AYA G R A J & PA I N T M Y C I T Y
river’s tributaries, along with Yamuna.
Another national project that is connected
to Kumbh, both directly and indirectly, is the
Swachh Bharat Mission. In several speeches, Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath explained
various advantages of a clean country. In his first
Independence Day speech in August 2017, he
highlighted the importance of this Mission, and
insisted that it was a scheme “in which every citizen
should participate”. Over the past years, Hon’ble
Chief Minister has personally driven the Clean India
programme by sweeping streets in several cities like
Lucknow and Agra.
The Kumbh legend also formed an integral theme
under Paint My City. As described in the Vedic
literature, the power of Devas was diminished
because of a curse. Hence, they lost to Asuras led by
Bali. In a bid to find a solution, they approached Lord
Shiva, who directed them to Lord Vishnu. The latter
asked them to churn Ksheera Sagar (Primordial Ocean
of Milk) in what is termed as Samudra Manthan to
produce the nectar. Sadly, Devas didn’t possess the
powers and strength to do so; Lord Vishnu asked
them to seek help from Asuras.
Mandara Mountain became tool, and Vasuki, the
King of Serpents, rope, for the churning. On Lord
Vishnu’s advice, Devas agreed to be on the tail side
of serpent. Hence, Asuras, who wanted to be on the
head side, had to deal with poisonous breath that
4 6 / PA I N T MY C I T Y
emanated from Vasuki. During the churn, Mandara
began to sink. Lord Vishnu took the shape of Kurma,
a giant turtle, to support it on its back. Initially, the
act produced the deadliest poison, which was drunk
by Lord Shiva, who henceforth became Neelkantha as
his neck became blue due to the poison. A few drops of
poison fell on the ground, and were licked by animals
like scorpions and snakes, which thereafter became
venomous. Among other gifts that initially emerged
from the churning were Kamdhenu (wish-granting
cow, which was taken by Lord Brahma, and given to the
sages), Airavata (an elephant that went to Lord Indra),
and Uchhaishravas (a seven-headed horse, which was
given to Bali). The ever-flowering Parijat tree was
taken by Devas to Indralok. Finally, after 1,000 years,
Dhanvantri appeared with the pot of amrit.
The Divine Beings were scared to share it with
their evil counterparts. Hence, the pot was whisked
away by Lord Vishnu, who disguised himself as
enchanting Mohini to distract Asuras. For the next
12 days and nights, demons chased and fought
demi-gods across the universe. Ultimately, Mohini
agreed to give the nectar to everyone, but decided
to first serve it to Devas. The plan was to finish it
before it reached Asuras. However, an Asura dressed
as a Deva, managed to drink the nectar. Warned by
Chandra (Moon), who was a product of the Manthan,
Lord Vishnu cut off his throat but some drops went
down to his stomach. The Asura did not die; his
Chaufatka Flyover
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 47
 K U M B H , P R AYA G R A J & PA I N T M Y C I T Y

Naini Central Jail

MYTHOLOGY ON WALLS
The Samudra Manthan, or the churning of the mythical waters by
both the demi-gods and demons to produce the immortal nectar, initially
threw up several other things. The latter included the poison that
Lord Shiva drank (Previous Spread), and forever acquired a blue neck,
and several Goddesses and Apsaras (This Spread)

Chaufatka Flyover
4 8 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 4 9
K U M B H , P R AYA G R A J & PA I N T M Y C I T Y

head became Rahu, and his body Ketu, and both later
became planets. Thanks to the drops of immortality,
Devas defeated Asuras. The legend ends here.
However, in process of chase between the two rivals,
four drops of nectar fell at four locations in India –
Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nasik, and Ujjain. The festival of
Kumbh, which literally means a pot, is celebrated in
these four cities.

SPIRITUALITY OF KUMBH
In India, there are several Tirthas, or divine places
along the banks of sacred and divine rivers. Millions
visit them to take a dip in the holy waters to cleanse
themselves of their sins. Although there are several
renowned Tirthas, Prayagraj is considered to be
Tirtha Raja, or King of Tirthas. Even the rivers that
meet at this site rid themselves of the sins of human
burden they carry from the earlier Tirthas through
which they flow. Prayagraj is the place of Sangam,
the meeting point of three spiritual rivers, Ganga,
or Mandakini, the river of heaven, Yamuna, and the
“invisible but venerable” Saraswati. There are several
locations where two rivers meet, but very few where
three do, like in the four Kumbh locations. Prayagraj’s
significance is enhanced as it is considered the purest
of Sangams to take a dip. It is believed that at this
Triveni Sangam, the three rivers themselves flow with
amrit. In Kumbh 2019, 240 million people visited the

GT Flyover
5 0 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 5 1
 K U M B H , P R AYA G R A J & PA I N T M Y C I T Y

OF MYTHICAL ANIMALS AND PLANTS

The churning to produce the immortal nectar also resulted in various
animals and plants that emerged from the ocean. These included Kamdhenu
(wish-granting cow, which was taken by Lord Brahma and given to the
sages), Airavata (an elephant, which went to Lord Indra), and Uchhaishravas
(a seven-headed horse, which was given to Bali). The ever-flowering Parijat
tree was taken by the Devas to Indralok

Chaufatka Flyover

5 2 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 5 3
K U M B H , P R AYA G R A J & PA I N T M Y C I T Y

GT Flyover GT Flyover Naini Central Jail

5 4 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 5 5
K U M B H , P R AYA G R A J & PA I N T M Y C I T Y

city. On January 15, 2019 (Makar Sankrati), the first of

various Shahi Snan days, which marked inauguration
of the Kumbh, more than 25 million took a dip.
Kumbh 2019 ended on March 4, 2019, the day of final
Shahi Snan on Maha Shivratri.
While the Kumbh legend is “ancient” and “ageless”,
as it is mentioned in Puranas, the festival may be
more recent. However, there is little doubt that a large
festival was annually celebrated in Prayagraj between
the fourth and sixth century during the Gupta period.
One of the earliest mentions is by the Chinese and
Buddhist traveller, Hsuan Tsang, in 643 AD. He wrote
of an “age-long festival” in the month of Magh (Jan-
Feb), when thousands of pilgrims congregated in
the city. The Gupta kings showed their generosity by
gifting away everything they carried to masses, and
returned back with a single piece of cloth wrapped
around them. Sadhus and sants, as well as devotees,
visited the city during this period. According to a
historian, “The traditional scene of the mela has
remained almost unchanged: the ascetics’ exhibition
of yogic performance, the recitation of religious texts,
discourses on socio-religious problems... continue to
be main attractions of the fair.”

FESTIVAL OF KUMBH
Kumbh is the largest congregation of pilgrims and
visitors. They come, stay in the city for weeks, spend

SAVING THE IMMORTAL NECTAR

Finally, after a lot of effort, Dhanvantri appeared with the pot of nectar,
which was whisked away by Lord Vishnu, who was dressed as a beautiful
woman. For the next 12 days and 12 nights, the Asuras followed and fought
the Devas, before a settlement was reached. But Lord Vishnu ensured
that the nectar was over before it reached the Asuras

Naini Central Jail

5 6 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 5 7
 K U M B H , P R AYA G R A J & PA I N T M Y C I T Y

most of their time in pujas and worship, eat possibly

just one meal a day (like the Kalpavasis), and let
their hearts and souls revel in the glory of Gods. For
various Akhadas, the 13 orders of saintly groups
that are represented, Kumbh becomes the holy,
living place. According to a study by the Harvard
University, it was a great eighth-century philosopher
who gathered ascetic orders at the mela. He is said
to have established mathas, headquarters of the
orders of ascetics at four compass points of India.
The Akhadas showcase their strength and expanse,
especially on their days of Peshwai ceremony when
followers walk to the holy Sangam. Kumbh offers the
largest conclave for ascetics who come to yearn for
immortality. Some of the most flamboyant orders
“enact their indifference to discomfort and pain
holding one arm in the air for years, lying on a bed
of nails or sitting in meditation in an iron swing,
hung over a burning fire”. They depict the “flagrant
rejection of comforts of settled life”.

KUMBH, PRAYAGRAJ & PAINTINGS

The Mela Authority asked artists of Paint My City to
capture various feelings, sentiments, religious and
spiritual philosophy related to Kumbh. The latter had
to get essence of the pilgrims, as well as members of
the ascetic orders. In addition, they had to inculcate
religiosity of the Kumbh. Lord Shiva, given his

Jhunsi Railway Station

5 8 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 5 9
 Foreign tourists thronged
to Kumbh 2019, not just to
enjoy the festival, but also
to explore the historical
heritage of Prayagraj, and
witness the beauty of the
confluence of rivers

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Bade Hanuman Mandir, Sangam
K U M B H , P R AYA G R A J & PA I N T M Y C I T Y

crucial role in the Manthan, became a logical motif,

especially at places like Gangoli Shivalay, and Shiv
Kuteer. The significance of Maha Shivratri, a day
associated with Lord Shiva and when the Kumbh ends
officially, encouraged painters to depict legends and
mythologies related to the lord. Various avataars of
Lord Vishnu, who gave idea of ocean churning, and
saved the nectar for Devas, also received prominence.
Various saints and ascetic orders were painted at
religious places. One of these sites is Arail Ghat on
the banks of River Ganga. Dozens of ashrams on the
main lane of the ghat are covered with Gods and
Goddesses, and saints with their students and their
living spaces. Colours like yellow, red, saffron, and
green adorn the walls and buildings, and one feels as
if one is present in an area where the Gods reside.
On the walls and the adjacent buildings of Bade
Hanuman Mandir, near Sangam, the street art shows
Lord Hanuman, a devotee of Lord Rama and his wife,
Sita, for obvious reasons. The colours are dazzling;
one has to visit this site at night to get full flavour
of the effect. Even when artists had yet to finish the
paintings, they knew what they had to do. “By the
time we finish, these walls and buildings will acquire a
different impact. They will lure you, they will enchant
you, and they will woo you,” says one of them. He was
right. Today, the moment you reach initial steps, the
colours and paintings pull you towards them. Instead

Boat Club at Yamuna River

6 4 / PA I N T MY C I T Y
 of walking up to the Mandir, one wants to get into the
bylanes to witness magic of colours.
Obviously, the Manthan and its various elements,
including the entire narrative, are visible in several
sites – New Mela Office, Naini Central Jail, GT Jawahar
Flyover, and others. The visual depiction of churning,
with Kurma, Mandara, and Vasuki, are there. So is
Neelkantha. Various personalities and objects that
came out of the sea, including Dhanvantri with the
nectar pot, and Mohini, are there for pilgrims to see.
“What we did was simple. If you walk under the GT
Jawahar Flyover, and even if you are a foreigner who
knows nothing about the legend, you can easily follow
the narrative. The mythology is visually represented;
there is no need for words, verses, and explanations.
I think the visualisation has worked,” explains team
leader of an art agency. Even those, who knew the
story, seemed impressed. For example, an elderly
couple travelling in an e-rickshaw, looked up at it, and
the wife commented, “It’s so real, it’s so beautiful.”
Under the setting sun, it looked surreal in a different
way, more real than real.
The reverence of sadhus, the importance of a dip
in Triveni Sangam, and spirituality and religosity
of masses can be seen across the city. Opposite the
entrance of Prayag Railway Junction, artists drew a
life-like and life-size sadhu. Once they had finished,
they saw a remarkable resemblance between their

Rambagh Flyover Shiv Kutir, Ganga Ghat

6 6 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 67

art and a real sadhu, who lived under a banyan
tree 20-30 metres away. “We were surprised, even
shocked, to see the similarities. We hadn’t seen
human sadhu before. May be it was coincidence,
may be it was destiny,” says one of the painters. On
some of the walls and pillars are typical temple bells.
Each time you pass them, you will subconsciously
hear them ring in your ears. Each time, you hear
the actual bells near a temple, the images of
paintings will conjure up inside your heads. There
are places where one can witness the piousness of
the pilgrims, oblivious to the world as they take
their holy dips. The sadhus with their shanks (conch
Prayag Railway Junction (Both Images)
6 8 / PA I N T MY C I T Y
K U M B H , P R AYA G R A J & PA I N T M Y C I T Y
shells), and people clad in a single cloth invite you
to a new world, where purity of the heart and soul,
significance of the holy spirit, is more crucial than
materialism. Apart from the holiness, there is release
of worldly tensions, as the sadhus dance to music,
and perform the aartis. During Kumbh, the aartis, or
fire offerings, attract tens of thousands of people.
SEVEN SAGES
The mind-born sons of Lord Brahma were the seven
greatest sages, who attained semi-mortal status, after
long life spans. Each sage, who is assigned to guide
human race during his lifetime, lives for a Manvantra,
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 6 9
 K U M B H , P R AYA G R A J & PA I N T M Y C I T Y

or 306,720,000 earth years. They are generally

referred to as the Saptarishis, and they too were
depicted under Paint My City. They included:

Rishi Atri: He propounded the use of the sacred

thread (poonal), and is known for discoveries of great
sacred mantras. His wife, Anusuya, was known for
chastity.
Rishi Bharadvaja: A master of advanced military
arts, he had an unquenchable thirst for Vedic
knowledge. He was father of Dronacharya, the guru of
Pandavas and Kauravas. He is the author of Ayurveda.
Rishi Gautama: He was an individual without ego,
who cared for people. During a drought, he meditated,
and was granted a wish. When the Saptarishi asked
for rain, Lord refused, “The Law demands that there
should be no rain in the place for this period of time.
I cannot go against the Law.” So, the rishi asked for a
huge supply of water in a local reservoir.
Rishi Jamdagni: He is father of Parashurama, the
sixth avataar of Lord Vishnu. When the saint’s wife
broke her unbaked clay pot, she didn’t return home
due to her fear of the husband. The rishi ordered his
son to kill the mother, which Parashurama did.
Rishi Kashyapa: He is the progenitor, the Prajapati.
He was an author of Kashyapa Samhita, which
is a classical reference book in field of ayurvedic
paediatrics, gynaecology, and obstetrics.

GT Flyover
7 0 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 7 1
 GT Flyover

7 2 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 7 3
 K U M B H , P R AYA G R A J & PA I N T M Y C I T Y

Rishi Vashishtha: He is the rajguru of Surya Vansh.

His scripture, Yoga Vashista, provides content and
context to the questions Lord Rama asked when he
was dischanted with the world.
Rishi Vishwamitra: He is the only one who rose to
the position of a Brahmarishi through sheer merit,
even though the order was “created divinely” and
is appointed by Lord Brahma. In fact, he was not a
Brahmin, but a Kshatriya (warrior). He is known for
his epic struggle with Rishi Vashista.
On several pillars under a flyover, artists drew the
seven saintly sages with realism. The overall idea of
showcasing Kumbh and Prayagraj in various parts of
city was to give a spiritual feel to residents and visitors.
Holiness of the city is enhanced by close to images,
and their colours. Each time, you twist and turn, you
are likely to see a God, Goddess, sadhu, pilgrims, and
local residents dealing with Kumbh in their own ways.
Bathing, worshipping, and basking in sheer glory of
the lord is evident from these paintings. As one of the
locals claims, “The city felt holy, largely during the
Kumbhs. Now, we feel blessed every day whenever
we see these wall paintings. In our minds the city was
always holy. Now, it is also so in our eyes.”

Sarojini Naidu Children

Hospital, Tagore Town
74 / PA I N T M Y C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 7 5
 Jhunsi Railway Station

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STREET ART IN BERLIN

As can be seen from the wall

paintings in Berlin, western
street art is a form of protest.
In Prayagraj’s Paint My City,
the idea was to beautify the
city, and depict the cultural
heritage of the city, Uttar
Pradesh, and the country,
along with the legend of, and
life at, Kumbh
 Kumbh 2019 created
Guinness World Record for
the longest parade of buses

8 0 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 8 1
 GENESIS
CITY AS A CANVAS
A
well-conceived piece of artwork can not only inspire feelings
of astonishment as well as delight, but can also compliment
the architectural elements of a given space, thus making it
exquisite. However, in most places globally, the walls across the streets
have been used as canvases of resentment, defaced by graffiti, and an
expression of unhappiness. When we were preparing for Kumbh 2019,
we observed a peculiar situation in Prayagraj. Although the expression
in the form of street art was almost negligible here, the entire city
was splattered with posters and different kinds of wall writings with
a tilt towards negativity, all of which didn’t quite give a positive
impression. Moreover, in the light of the fact that the entire
city was undergoing a radical metamorphosis in the form
of Kumbh works, the defacement on the city’s canvas
seemed both inappropriate as well as unacceptable.
Hence, the idea to ameliorate the aesthetics
of the city by artistically painting the city walls
showcasing the mystical significance of the Kumbh
Mela through the hues of mythology, germinated in
September-October 2017. As a solution to crowd out
the defacement and ugliness, ‘Paint My City’ campaign
was born. Since Kumbh Mela was a time when large number
of pilgrims came to Prayagraj, an aesthetic ambience, highlighting the
mythological, cultural and historical significance of not only this mega
fair, but also of Prayagraj, would have accentuated their experience.
Besides, since there is a general tendency of crowd to defile the walls
during their sojourn, running such a campaign would have served many
purposes. Besides reflecting the spirit of the Kumbh Mela, the campaign
would have also prevented defiling of walls and motivated visitors to
maintain cleanliness.
However, the decision to paint the city in different hues was not taken
overnight. Magh Mela 2018 was used as the testing ground and a small
pilot project was run. Students were roped in to see how the walls would
look if painted with aesthetic designs. From across several schools,
students participated with zest, setting the tone for the actual project.
But because it was a project with a gigantic goal, professional artists
from across the country were invited to present their concepts, before a
8 2 / PA I N T MY C I T Y
decision was finally taken.
Fortunately we were able to get the funding from UP Tourism
Department and Namami Gange to start with, whereafter, we roped in
professional agencies. We are extremely thankful to Namami Gange, our
main sponsor. The professional agencies that we selected were quite
excited from the beginning because they had never worked in this kind
of a project and at such a humongous scale. It was perhaps the largest
project of its kind in the world with over 20 lakh square feet of wall
space to be painted. Eventually, over 500 national and international
artists worked on it and gave it its current contour.
Since this campaign was being run at government’s
behest, we had to be very careful about the theme that
these paintings represented. We had to ensure that
the designs on the city canvases were not insensitive
to any shades opinion and reflected an ambiance
of celebration. A committee was, therefore, formed
to approve the themes to be illustrated on the city
walls and it did its work with lot of sensitivity and
sense of duty. Finally, themes highlighting India’s
intangible cultural heritage, mythology of Kumbh,
architecture, eminent personalities, and modern art were
approved for depiction. The canvases for these paintings included
public building walls, underpasses, flyovers, water tankers, bus stops,
railway stations and railway coaches, public transport vehicles, metal
shutters and foot over bridges, to exemplify a few.
‘Paint my city’ campaign has altered the perception of administrators
and planners to undertake beautification of the city. It has given a
confidence to trust external agencies and proved that beautification is
possible if we endeavor to execute a plan, no matter how humongous it
is. The transformation of Prayagraj to a canvas depicting lineage of fine
mythological history and the effect it has had on modern society is the
befitting testimony to this change in perception!
Dr. Ashish Kumar Goel, IAS
Divisional Commissioner, Prayagraj &
Chairman, Prayagraj Mela Authority
 The government invited Heads of
Missions from 70 countries, and they
enjoyed the grandeur (Left); Yogi
Adityanath, Chief Minister Uttar
Pradesh, on an inspection trip during
Kumbh 2019

8 4 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 8 5
 The walls of the CMP Degree CHAPTER2
College (Indrapuri, New
Bairahana), one of the first sites
to be painted, provided the initial
momentum to the project because
of its stupendous impact. The walls
came alive with the bright yellow
colours, and exotically-painted
characters. It attracted attention
even of the riders who whizzed
past it on their vehicles

THE MAKING OF
PAINT
MY CITY
I
N mid-2017, Uttar Pradesh government decided
that Paint My City project will be one of the grand
endeavours to make Kumbh 2019 a world-class
festival. The Chief Minister, and the relevant state
departments decided on several policies and decisions
to achieve this objective. Paint My City, for instance,
was envisaged as the largest street art project in the
world, and its aim was to paint the walls of public
and private buildings, as well as public and private
infrastructure locations. The idea was to beautify over
two million square feet across the city.

CHOICE OF THEMES
At an early stage, overall themes were frozen – like
the history and culture of Prayagraj and UP, religious
and spiritual aspects of the Kumbh. They also
included political and cultural icons, and celebrities

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M A K I N G O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y

and artists who hailed from Prayagraj. Further,

the paintings that conveyed socially relevant and
public service messages, and daily life of common
households in city were part of the themes. The
Mela Authority decided that important and popular
ghats, monuments, and temples along the banks of
Ganga, would also be included. Several paintings, for
instance, would depict the conservation efforts and
historical importance of Ganga, central government’s
schemes like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, and climate
change. With feedback from various stakeholders and
partners, list of sub-themes under overall themes
were expanded. Financial closure was achieved, as the
funds were received from National Mission for Clean
Ganga (Namami Gange), Uttar Pradesh State Tourism
Department, Prayagraj’s Smart City Mission, and
Swachh Bharat Mission.

SELECTION OF THE AGENCIES

Under an open and transparent tendering process, 15
agencies bid to participate in Paint My City. Based on
their technical expertises, and experiences, five were
empanelled with the Mela Authority. These were M/s

Not just the pilgrims,

tourists, and locals, but also
the thousands of volunteers
in Kumbh 2019 enjoyed the
wall paintings across the city
8 8 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 8 9
 The look and feel of the
Amitabh Bachchan Sports
Complex (Shiv Ram Das
Gulati Marg), named after
one of the most iconic
Bollywood actors in the
country, got a unique facelift

26
9 0 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 9 1

CLEAN INDIA MISSION
Paintings related to Swachch Bharat, like the above one near
Lucknow Road, were among the last to be completed. Across the
city, there were depictions of common people in the city, like the
left one, carrying on with their professional activities
Prayag Railway Junction
9 2 / PA I N T MY C I T Y
T H E M A K I N G O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y
Delhi Street Art, M/s Ram Sutar Art Creations, M/s
Adwaita Enterprises, M/s Insole, and M/s Promocare.
Initially, a survey was done by the agencies to recce
potential locations in different zones: north, south,
east, west, and central. Locations ranged from private
to public properties, from ghats on the banks of
Ganga and Yamuna to democratic institutions, and
from ancient temples to ashrams. Of the 500 sites
that were studied, the best designs were selected by
specially-formed Content Approval Committee. Later,
in a transparent process, these sites were re-allotted
in a randomised manner. Thus, the locations surveyed
by an agency were not allotted to it. Randomisation
ensured that none of the five agencies were able to
get attractive sites by coincidence or default, and
none of them could complain about favouritism at a
later stage. Thus, five agencies worked harmoniously,
and in cooperative manner, towards a common goal
to achieve a desired surface area across the city.
SELECTION OF THE PAINTINGS
The Mela Authority established a Content Approval &
Advisory Committee, which included representatives
and experts from various fields such as think tank
and government departments. It was also involved
in quality assurance. The five empanelled agencies
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 9 3
 The iconic Prime Minister
of India, the late Atal Bihari
Vajpayee, stands tall in this
painting near DM’s Office,
Prayagraj, as also in several
parts of the country
9 4 / PA I N T MY C I T Y
Near the DM’s Office, this
large portrait reminds the
citizens of one of India’s
most popular President, the
late Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 9 5

were given freedom to come up with ideas, and
the Committee screened these, and gave its final
approvals for themes. The agencies submitted
1,000 art mock-ups and digital drafts of how
the walls and the buildings would look like after
completion of the paintings. Around 200 of them
were appraised by the Committee.
CHALLENGES AND STRUGGLES
Since each and every mock-up and draft theme
submitted by the art agencies was appraised
Near Naini Railway Station
9 6 / PA I N T MY C I T Y
T H E M A K I N G O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y
by Content Committee, and involved the Mela
Authority, regular meetings were held to ensure
efficient and timely completion. In addition,
the sponsors and other partners needed to
be on board for selection of the paintings.
It was a marvellous effort to bring everyone
together, especially those who had to travel to
Prayagraj from other cities. Similarly, at regular
intervals, there was coordination to keep a
track of completed work and themes that were
depicted. Overkill of any subject, theme, or
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 9 7
 TWO SHADES OF BABA
The agency which did the painting, hopes that the two figures will become famous
among the college-going youngsters as Camera-wale Baba and Cycle-wale Baba.
Initially, the students of the SLC Boys Hostel (Allahabad University) objected to the
painting; some of them threatened the painters. But they calmed down after being
shown the mock-ups. They were promised that if the painting did not meet the
standards of what they were shown, it will be whitewashed. Today, the site has become
a popular selfie-spot. Possibly unknown to the students, the artists wittingly played a
game — the baba on the left is snapping shots of what happens inside the hostel

9 8 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 9 9
M A K I N G O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y

certain characters, was avoided to prevent repetition.

Deadlines were routinely set by the Mela Authority
for art agencies and their works, as well as to update
the list of completed paintings, along with their sites
and locations. In fact, some of these PDF updates,
especially the one finalised on December 1, 2018,
became so popular that people got their hands on it,
and used it as a guide to visit several painting sites
across the city.

PM INAUGURATES KUMBH PROJECTS COMING

On December 16, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi BACK HOME
inaugurated several projects that were completed Locally, this street is known as the
for Kumbh 2019. These included opening up of a Bainswali Gali (Coach Care Centre)
new terminal at Allahabad Bamrauli Airport (Above because the buffaloes and their owners
use it to return to their residences at
Photograph), one of the prime locations under Paint
sunset. Hence, the buffaloes’ art work
My City. Art agencies thought of exciting themes
was approved for this site. To give the
to depict on the outer walls of the airport – like the
animals a sense of modernity, neon
world’s first flight carrying post (letters) was from paints were used for the horns. These
Prayagraj to Naini in 1907, and Mark Twain, the days, the real buffaloes look with
renowned humour writer and satirist, visited the city surprise at their painted counterparts,
in 1895, year of the Kumbh. During the trip, Hon’ble who look more real and brighter,
especially at night
Prime Minister praised Paint My City project, and
said that he had seen how the city was beautified
with attractive paintings. He was confident that they
would provide “a splendid experience for pilgrims
and tourists”.

Coach Care Centre

1 0 0 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 0 1
 A view of the Peshwai —
official entry of Akharas into
the Kumbh Mela area through
one of the pontoon bridges

1 0 2 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 0 3
STREET ART IN SAO PAULO

STREET ART IN CHICAGO

 The ritual Peshwai ceremony
at Kumbh 2019; during these
events, the 13 Akharas enter
their camps at the Sangam
on different days (Right);
Ganga Puja by CM Yogi
Adityanath at Sangam

1 0 6 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 07

TIMES, THEY ARE
A CHANGING
One of the art agencies wished to depict
social traditions of the city, as well as
other parts of the country. Even today,
there is a generation of women who
cover their heads with pallu, as seen in
this painting on the walls of Lok Seva
Aayog (Civil Lines). Fortunately, and
progressively, at the same time, there
is a younger generation that is both
socially and financially empowered, and
can compete with the men
Lok Seva Aayog
1 0 8 / PA I N T MY C I T Y
CHAPTER3
THE LOGISTICS OF
PAINT
MY CITY
P
AINT My City was a logistics challenge. To
begin with, the monsoons continued until end-
September 2018, which meant that the project
was delayed by several weeks. Instead of August, it
started in October. At the same time, although the
organisers, partners, and art agencies had undertaken
several large city-specific projects, but they were
not of this magnitude. The empanelled agencies
had great ideas, but they needed to be channelised
in a time-bound manner. Painting two million sq ft
of walls, spread across the city’s 100 sq km, was a
humungous task, but the Mela Authority, Prayagraj
Administration, and artists were up to it.
Coordination, tough deadlines, and sourcing talent
from abroad, as well managing an inventory of raw
materials, for the gigantic task was crucial. Hence, the
role of Mela Authority, as well as the managers and
team leaders of agencies, became critical. Nothing
was left to chance; efficiency and smoothness was
ensured, and utmost administrative skills were
used. “We had to start from scratch to overcome
the bottlenecks,” says one of the artists. Added a
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 0 9
 The first Indian woman
in space, Kalpana Chawla
(painting at Naini
Information Centre), died
a tragic death. On February
1, 2003, during her second
space odyssey, the space ship
Columbia depressurised and
killed the seven-member
crew, as it returned to earth.
As her name suggests, she
unleashed the imagination
of millions of women
1 1 0 / PA I N T MY C I T Y
Bundele Harbolon ke
munh hamne suni kahani
thi, khoob ladi mardani
woh toh Jhansi wali rani thi.
All of us remember these
iconic lines written by
the legendary daughter-
of-Prayagraj, Subhadra
Kumari Chauhan (painting
at Naini Information
Centre). She took part in
pre-Independence freedom
struggles, including the civil
disobedience movement
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 1 1

THEMES FROM DAILY LIVES
On this, and the next two spreads are a slew of art works at
Prayag Railway Junction that showcase the lives of the normal
residents — chaiwallah, milk-seller, bullock cart rider, musician,
potter, fruit seller (of world-famous guava), and goat-rearer.
The guava-seller seems as real as the old woman, as is the case
with the old and young men with goats. In these paintings, the
traditional moves in tandem with the modern
1 1 2 / PA I N T MY C I T Y
T H E L O G I S T I C S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y
Mela Authority official, “At its peak more than 1,500
painters, helpers, and other support staff, were
employed by the five agencies.” Proper due diligence
was done in case of every design and art work to
ensure that facts mentioned in the paintings were
correct, narrative was in the spirit of the city and
mela, and objective of welcoming pilgrims was
at the centre-stage.
PERMISSIONS & CLEARANCES
For faster completion, the stakeholders decided
to allow the empanelled agencies to directly seek
permissions from owners to paint the walls and
buildings. Initially, when the art agencies started
this process, some owners were apprehensive. Mela
Authority assisted and supported the agencies in
getting the permissions from both the private and
government owners of the properties. Still, some
of them were reluctant to get their walls painted
because of the fear of defacement. Like we are scared
of trespassers, the owners did not wish to allow
outsiders to intrude on their properties. In some
cases, the private owners wrongly suspected that
Paint My City project was a ruse by the government
to take over their properties. “One of the house-
owners categorically maintained that once his house
was painted, the government could interfere in it,”
reveals an artist. Another one says that a few owners
were not-too-keen to deal with the government
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 1 3
L O G I S T I C S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y

agencies, as they thought that it could lead to some

problems. In several cases, even the government
institutions were sceptical. But once the message
spread that Paint My City was a social project, it
was a community-based one, it was a beautification
endeavour, and it was aimed to welcome the
millions of Kumbh pilgrims and tourists, the owners
enthusiastically participated in it. “After they saw
the paintings on other buildings, and realised how
attractive they looked, they agreed,” reveals a city
official. It took a lot of persuasion on the part of
stakeholders to change the mindsets.
In many instances, after the clearances were
received, art agencies faced new challenges, which
were sometimes amusing and encouraging. At Ganga
Ghat’s Gangoli Shivalay, where one of the several
ancient temples dedicated to Lord Shiva is located,
the head priest insisted that the art agency also paint
the steps of the temple, and the structure inside the
premises, along with the wall. Hence, the quantum of
work commissioned by the Mela Authority increased
because the original work order was only for the wall.
But, persuaded by the Mela Authority, the artists
agreed to do so. Similarly, when another agency began
its work to paint a few ashrams at Arail Ghat, the
neighbours urged it to paint their ashrams too. Thus,
the scope of work increased to about a dozen ashrams,
instead of half-a-dozen. As late as December 2018,
the owner of the agency was negotiating with a few

Prayag Railway Junction

1 1 4 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 1 5
L O G I S T I C S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y

Prayag Railway Junction Railway Colony

1 1 6 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 1 7
 T H E L O G I S T I C S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y

ashrams. “It was more work for us, but we didn’t mind
as there was more opportunity to showcase our art
works to the millions of visitors,” he says.

STATE OF THE SITES

The Mela Authority and Prayagraj Administration
were aware that the city was dubbed as one full
of paper posters. On most walls, one can still find
advertisements of coaching classes, and painted
catch-lines for local and national products. “In
some areas, especially the university area, the walls
were plastered with layers of posters, up to 12 to
15 layers. We had to physically rip off each one of
them, and then wash the walls several times so that
each and every scrap of paper was removed,” says
one of the artists. In other areas, huge piles of mud
(malba) covered the walls. This was either because
the residents had thrown waste, or due to large-

The three visuals on the

top show how the city’s
walls looked like earlier
— full of layers of posters,
and horrendous and ugly
advertisements. But many of
them, like Triveni Underpass
2 (original image on top
right) went through dramatic
transformation (three
images at the bottom)

1 1 8 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 1 9
 T H E L O G I S T I C S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y

THEN AND NOW,

THE NEW LOOK
The above visual depicts how the wall of the Naini
Central Jail looked like earlier — full of bushes, and
unapproachable. The left photograph shows how Paint
My City made it beautiful, as well as accessible. The
two art agencies, which did the paintings on the front
and side walls, had a tough time cleaning up the spaces
to erect scaffoldings. “We spent almost a week on the
cleaning,” said a member of the teams

1 2 0 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 2 1
 scale construction work undertaken by various civic
and other agencies and departments in preparation
for Kumbh 2019. In some areas, huge piles of heavy
steel and PVC pipes were stacked against walls. “In a
number of sites, the city’s administration sent JCBs (a
common name for heavy earth-moving machinery), to
clear the waste,” explains an artist.
In a few cases, to expedite the speed of work,
artists and their helpers had to remove the dirt. “We
physically cleared a few sites. I also lifted PVC pipes
to clear the area at one of the locations,” says a team
leader of one of the art agencies. The front and the
sidewalls of Naini Central Jail, for instance, were
covered with several feet high bushes that completely
blocked the access. “We had to cut them, clear the
mud and debris, and level the six-foot area in front
of the walls so that we could paint it. The effort was
1 2 2 / PA I N T MY C I T Y
worth it. People can now stand in front of the walls
and appreciate our paintings,” explains a team leader
of one of the art agencies. There were other problems
as the civic work of the laying of roads, and other
construction were happening simultaneously with
Paint My City. Hence, some of the art works would
be covered with layers of dust because of the wet
paint. They had to be re-done after a few days. “In
one instance, we noticed that a painting was covered
with bitumen because of the road construction the
previous night. We couldn’t remove the bitumen,
which had stuck to the wall. Hence, we re-painted
over it,” says an artist. “These paintings can easily
last and remain fresh for five years or more. Since
the paints we have used are waterproof, the officials
need to only wash the walls every six months,” says a
concerned artist.
TAKING CARE OF ARTISTS
As mentioned earlier, at its peak, 1,500 artists and
helpers simultaneously worked on dozens of sites.
They had to be accommodated, fed, and transported
to and from the various locations. Hence, the five art
agencies hired several houses for months. A dozen
or so artists lived in each house. They converted
one room to stack the materials, laptops, and other
equipment. Another room became a part-time office.
The third one was used to sleep. Fortunately, some
of the people worked during the day, others during
nights, and a few both during the days and nights
for several days. Hence, the bedrooms weren’t jam-
packed all the time. “I and my second-in-command
slept for only 1-3 hours every day for several days. As
we rushed from site to site to ensure the completion
of various ongoing works, we had no time to take bath
or even to eat at regular intervals. When we did take
a bath after several days, we felt truly alive,” quips a
team leader of one of the art agencies.
The eating habits of the painters differed according
to their backgrounds and lifestyles. The artists hailed
from across the country, and even from abroad.
They came from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West
Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and
New Zealand. Accordingly, their food habits differed.
In some cases, the agencies brought cooks along
with the artists from specific states. The team from
Tamil Nadu had its own cooks, who could make tasty
sambar, rasam and coconut-laden vegetables. The
food was transported in large utensils to the sites, and
served in steel and plastic plates. This was even done
for those who worked in the nights. “I ensured that
there was sufficient food available for the night teams
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 2 3
 FROM CHENNAI TO PRAYAGRAJ
These are the painters from Chennai, who created a dazzle on the wall and
steps of Gangoli Shivalay. The painting depicted the Lord’s unique marriage
procession. The lead artist of this team is a winner of President’s Award, and
only wanted to be photographed along with his team

Bade Hanuman Mandir, Sangam

Gangoli Sivalay, Ganga Ghat

1 24 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 2 5

If only the sea was blue, the
boats in the painting at a
private wall near the High
Court would have looked
real. Platform No. 1 of Jhunsi
Railway Station (Right)
wouldn’t have looked like a
platform without the ceiling
and the fans
1 2 6 / PA I N T MY C I T Y
T H E L O G I S T I C S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y
in case they felt hungry. We also had to arrange for CONSTANT SEARCH FOR PAINTS
regular and continuous supplies of tea, coffee, and One can imagine the quantities of distemper and
water for the people,” explains a team leader. A few paint that was required for two million square feet
adventurous artists searched for popular and famous of walls across the city. To give an idea, the front
local restaurants, roadside-eating haunts that served wall of Naini Central Jail, about 54,000 sq ft, required
tasty biryani and rolls. Then there were others, the 800-1,000 kg of paint. More importantly, it had to be
urbanites and foreigners, who opted for the burgers, sourced regularly. One never knew when it would be
pizzas, and hot dogs at the city’s cafes. needed, and when the existing stocks would finish.
There was a cafe that was frequented by the senior Thus, the art agencies struggled to maintain supplies.
painters of one of the art agencies. The owner gave One of them tied up with a local vendor, who was
them a discount, considering the brisk business he quite resourceful. This helped because he also knew
did, but he also had a demand. “Can you please paint the fastest way to reach a location, and suggested
this other section of the cafe, which I wish to open tasty little-known places to eat. For example, he
in the near future? You can decide the theme that took the artists to a small shop in a bylane that made
will go with the place,” asked the owner. The artists delicious samosa, and suggest where they could find
excitedly obliged; they saw the relevant walls, took the the best biryani.
measurements, and promised that they would come
up with mock-ups a few days later. Transportation was
a key to the completion of the works on deadlines. A
few art agencies drove their personal and office cars
from their headquarters to Prayagraj, and kept them
in the city for months. Local cars were hired for weeks
and months; some used the public battery and diesel
auto-rickshaws, and city buses. There were health
issues, including accidents. Several members of one of
the teams fell ill, and had to be immediately airlifted
to their homes. Another senior artist was injured by
a buffalo, while she was at the Coach Care Centre,
the location where a herd of buffaloes was ironically
painted. “The horn went through my flesh, and it took
days to recover,” she explains.
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 2 7
L O G I S T I C S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y

A SALAAM FROM KALAM

The 43 ft x 73 ft portrait (Right) of one of India’s most popular
President, the late Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, at Police Lines,
seems to be saluting the country, an economic powerhouse in
the making. The artists maintained that it was tough to give it
a real perspective. At the same location are smaller paintings in
Pattachitra style (Above), which is popular in Odisha

1 2 8 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 2 9
 The glitter of the Kumbh,
especially during the night, can
dazzle anyone. This is especially
true if the photographs are taken
in unique manner, as is the case
with this one

1 3 0 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 3 1
STREET ART IN PARIS

Wall paintings across the

world are distorted and
contorted because they
depict anger, frustration,
and desperation. In
Prayagraj, they are serene,
beautiful, and peaceful

PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 3 3
 The Gateway to Kumbh 2019
(Right); Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath during one of
his regular trips to Prayagraj
during the festival

13
5 4 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 5
35
 CHAPTER4

PAINTINGS OF
PAINT
MY CITY
C
OLOUR affects people in a positive manner.
This is especially true of urban spaces,
especially older, tradition-soaked, albeit
growing, cities like Prayagraj. Most of the city is in
varying shades of black, brown, and dust. Hence,
when vibrant colours appear on the walls and
buildings, both in the older and newer parts, it
changes the way people, even residents who have
lived there for decades, look at their habitats. Colours
and their hues can surprise, excite, even shock. This,
in many ways, is the essence of any city-wise street
art project, like Paint My City. In this case, there
were additional hues – like to showcase a charter for
the society, depict historical legacies, and provide
an intellectual messaging for the communities. The
objective was that the daily life at Kumbh should be
etched in public, and individual, memories for a long
time, and which were savoured for years.
However, the shades and hues cannot be chaotic and
haphazard. They need to have a soul, a philosophy,
which is reflected, even if subconsciously, through the
paintings. Hence, each painting needs a narrative, a
story that it tells, even if it is a well-known one. On
an overall basis, the Mela Authority chose several

Bamrauli Airport

1 3 6 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 3 7
PA I N T I N G S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y

general and overall themes, which included the

mythology and daily lives of Kumbh, science and
philosophy of Kumbh, spiritual and religious tenets
of Prayagraj, daily life in the city, social and national
messaging, and national and local icons, celebrities,
and politicians.
Within the themes and sub-themes, the Mela
Authority urged art agencies to experiment
and innovate, and ideas were cleared by the
Screening Committee. Two things mattered to the
administration and artists – location and people.
The paintings had to gel with locations and sites,
whether they appeared on the river ghats, temples,
government institutions, private properties, and
residential and commercial areas. They had to appeal
to the people, who were likely to see the art works,
and who included residents, visitors, or pilgrims. The
philosophies and thoughts behind the paintings were
driven by these two factors.
“We went to the locations and sites several times to
understand them. We spoke to the residents in a bid
to soak in the sites’ importance. Sometimes, we found
bizarre things, sometimes before and sometimes after
the paintings. For example, a building was earlier
inaugurated by Amitabh Bachchan; ironically, on that
building, we had painted Harivansh Rai Bachchan,
his father,” explains an artist. Others explain that
they were inspired by the locals, who wanted to

Bamrauli Airport

1 3 8 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 3 9
PA I N T I N G S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y
add elements to the paintings. For example, at
Prayag Railway Junction, the residents asked artists
to include a goat – the final painting has a sadhu
holding a goat. This was because some of the
households in the area were goat herders. Today,
the locals excitedly pose for photographs in front of
painting.
PRAYAGRAJ AIRPORT, BAMRAULI
The highway to the airport moves eastwards towards
Sarnath, and Gaya. Both are prominent Buddhist
centres – Bodh Gaya is where Buddha attained
enlightenment, and Sarnath is where he first taught
his Dharma. Hence, the art agency that painted the
walls of the airport decided to delve into the life and
1 4 0 / PA I N T MY C I T Y
Bamrauli Airport
times of Lord Buddha. There are obviously the three
iconic events – Prince Gautama who, on his various,
but rare, trips outside the palace, saw a sick lady,
an old beggar, and a dead body. These transformed
him, and forced him to think about human poverty,
sufferings, and meaningless deaths. There is the
occasion when Buddha, before he renounced the
world, saw an evolved person sitting under a tree,
and got the first flashes of spiritual knowledge. Other
paintings show him leaving his palace, as his wife
and son slept, and the renowned image of the lying
Buddha before his soul left the world.
For the Mela Authority and artists, the idea was
that after Kumbh 2019 was over, the highway would
be used by tourists travelling to Sarnath or Gaya.
Prayag Railway Junction
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 4 1
 T H E PA I N T I N G S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y

ON WAY TO BUDDHAHOOD
These, and the paintings in the previous spreads, at Bamrauli Airport, depict the different
events in the life of Gautama Buddha — including Lord Buddha’s enlightenment and physical
death. Since the airport is located on the highway that leads to Sarnath and Gaya, two of the
most important sites for Buddhist pilgrims, the artists decided that these visuals will be apt
to tell this tale

PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 4 3
 T H E PA I N T I N G S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y

Hence, they would be moved by these paintings, as

they would be in a spiritual and religious mood. For
the Mela Authority and State Government, longevity
of the paintings was important. They did not wish to
showcase only Kumbh, as the festival visitors would
stay in the city for a few weeks and months. For them,
it was important that the paintings remain relevant
for several years. The story of Lord Buddha was a way
to achieve this objective.
After Kumbh 2019, there would be those who would
use the airport to travel from, and to, Prayagraj.
Some of them would be locals, others would be
outsiders, who were interested in, and connected
to, the city in different ways – family, profession,
entrepreneurship, etc. For them, walls of the airport
have paintings of well-known poets of the city –
Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Mahadevi Verma, Sumitra
Nandan Pant, and Mir Babar Ali. Obviously, given his
global celebrity status, Amitabh Bachchan, the son of
Harivansh Rai, is there too. This is a different kind of
a cultural, and more personal, connect that the Mela
Authority wished to create between their paintings
and local people.

PRAYAG RAILWAY JUNCTION

A sizeable percentage of the Kumbh pilgrims and
tourists alighted at Prayag Railway Junction, which
is within the city and is normally meant for local

Prayag Railway Junction

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 The all-encompassing nature
of Kumbh 2019 was depicted
through culture from across the
country; here one can see the
Punjabi Bhangra
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PA I N T I N G S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y

trains. The Mela Authority hoped to use Paint My

City to welcome them. Therefore, on Platform 1,
there are huge portraits of leading Indian musicians
– Bismillah Khan (shehnai), Lata Mangeshkar (vocal),
and Hari Prasad Chaurasia (flute). They seem to be
playing and singing for the visitors. On their right are
dancing women, who too are entertaining those who
walk through the platform. “Imagine a visitor who is
coming from Odisha. After a few days on the train,
she gets down, and sees India’s leading celebrities
performing for her, at least visually, and in her mind.
I am sure she will feel the music in her mind. This will
make her smile, and re-energised,” says one of the
painters.
Since tourists came from different states, various
Indian cultures are represented on the walls, both
inside and outside the station. One can see dance
forms from the north (Punjabi Bhangra), south
(Kerala’s Kathakali), and east (Manipuri). “Anyone,
who arrived at the station, saw glimpses of their
culture and tradition on the walls. No one felt left out.
Although Kumbh has specific connotations in Hindu
mythology, Sangam attracts people from all over India.
The station is aplace where they need to feel a part of a
nation, not just a part of a festival of a certain religious
community,” explains the same artist.
Just outside the station is a temple, whose bells ring
at high decibel levels at certain times. So, on those

Prayag Railway Junction

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 India’s renowned musicians
and singer—Bismillah Khan
(Right), Lata Mangeshkar
(Centre), and Hari Prasad
Chaurasia, painted at Prayag
Railway Junction

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walls, painters drew temple bells, dozens of them,

strung together, as if they were a part of the temple.
Now, when people, who are outside the temple, hear
bells toll, they can see a visual representation of the
bells. Although they only hear the real bells, and
not see them, the painting plays with their eyes as if
they were in front of them. Next to this painting is a
portrait of a sadhu with folded hands. “His position
is such that he faces the temple. He is praying to the
deity, but only a few would get this fine distinction,”
says a painter with a mischievous smile on her face.
After Kumbh 2019 is over, the station will primarily
be used by local commuters. In a bid to keep them
addicted to the art works, the lives of the city dwellers
are depicted on the walls, There is the chai walla (chai
shops are a common feature in the city), mithai walla
(sweet shops are strewn across the city), seller of
flowers (which is a regular occurrence in a spiritual-
religious city), and cycle rickshaw walla (a common
mode of transport, although battery operated
and other motorised rickshaws exist). Most of the
commuters at the station hail from all sections of
society, who frequent such stalls and shops regularly.
They can see a part of their lives on the walls. In this
manner, the paintings naturally connect with people.

Prayag Railway Junction

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PA I N T I N G S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y

WELCOMING THE VISITORS

The several paintings at Prayag Railway Junction, like the two
well-known musicians (Zakir Hussain and Shiv Kumar Sharma)
on the right and those on the previous spreads, are aimed to
please and welcome the visitors. The musicians play for them,
the singers sing, and the dancing girls add to the entertainment.
A tired individual, who arrives after days of travel to Prayagraj,
will invariably smile looking at these paintings

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GANGA FLOWS
THROUGH A FLYOVER
On this flyover, the artists drew famous
ghats on River Ganga—from the beginning
of its long journey at Gomukh, to the end,
Ganga Sagar. The ghats and temples are
from Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Varanasi. This
painting, and the one on the next spread
amply shows the intricate details
High Court Flyover
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HIGH COURT FLYOVER
In June 2014, government launched its ambitious
Namami Gange programme, which is an integrated
conservation mission with budget outlay of Rs 20,000
crore to accomplish the twin objectives of Pollution
control and rejuvenation of River Ganga throughout its
journey from Gomukh, its origin, to Ganga Sagar, when
it flows into the Bay of Bengal. Since Namami Gange
is a key partner/stakeholder in Paint My City, there
are sites devoted to River Ganga. Various river ghats
in holy cities like Rishikesh, Varanasi, and Haridwar,
were painted on the pillars and underside of the High
Court Flyover. As soon as one passes under the flyover,
the eyes are hit by flashy colours, and life-like scenes
from some of the famous ghats. Those who have
visited them can instantly recognise the temples and
buildings. In an instant, one is spiritually transported
to these holy places, and the paintings evoke pleasant
and happy memories.
COACH CARE CENTRE
When artists visited this location, they saw several
herds of buffaloes going back home at sunset. They
found that the near-by residents owned buffaloes.
Coach Care Centre was one of the routes that the
herders and their buffaloes took regularly. Thus was
born the idea to innovatively paint buffaloes on the
wall. Dozens of them adorn it today; many of them
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have horns with neon paints so that they shine in the

night. At one edge of the painting are two herders,
talking to each other, and lazily guiding the buffaloes
back home. The black and green colours, along with
neon paints, mesmerise the viewers. “One evening,
while we were documenting how public reacted to
the works, we saw a herd walking back home. It was
exhilarating to see how the real buffaloes looked at
the painted brethren, as if they were real. We have the
photographs to prove it,” explains a painter.

PERSONALITIES OF PRAYAGRAJ
The city, apart from its spiritual-historical legacy, had
an intense engagement with India’s Independence.
Chandrasekhar Azad Park, near Civil Lines, was named
after the freedom fighter, who died as a martyr in the
city in 1931. The park was originally called Alfred
Park or Company Bagh, and was built in 1870 to
commemorate Prince Alfred’s visit. Spread over 133
acres, it is the largest ground in the city, and houses
the Azad memorial. On February 27, 1931, Azad was
surrounded by British police in the park after an
unknown informant betrayed his location. He killed
three policemen and injured several others. His heroics
allowed his companion, Sukhdev Raj, to escape. He
used the last bullet to sacrifice his life, adhering to
his vow that he would never be caught alive. The
colt pistol that he used is in Allahabad Museum. “I

Railway Colony Coach Care Centre

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was always fascinated by the fact that Azad died so
young, at 24, and yet all the photographs show him as
an older person. This was because of the eyes in the
photographs; they made him look older. Hence, when
we painted him under Paint My City, I instructed the
artists that he should look young, only 24, and not
older. We took care that this did happen,” explains the
team leader of the agency. Similarly, he adds that when
they painted Subhash Chandra Bose, the revolutionary
leader from Bengal who spent time in Allahabad, they
spoke to families in the city, which could have known
Bose, and tried to get old photographs of what he
actually looked like.
Prayag Railway Junction
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T H E PA I N T I N G S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y
OLD SCHOOLBOY’S CAFE
This cafe denotes the influx of modernity in a
tradition-filled city. Frequented largely by youth,
and those from the middle and wealthy, its cuisine
is more western, continental, and non-traditional.
Here, one can eat a burger, pizza, or hot dog, even as
one sips a coffee or Coke. The owner is educated and
loves to hold conversations on contemporary events,
politics, art, and culture. He was at peace with the
painters, who frequented, even adopted, his cafe.
The artists spent hours each day discussing their
works, frustrations, and excitement. From the cafe’s
balcony, one can see a large painting that depicts
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A generation of Indians grew

up with the movie character
of an angry young man that
the iconic Bollywood star,
Amitabh Bachchan, played
in several flicks, including
Deewar. Here, at the Civil
Lines market, the artists
portrayed the iconic image
from the movie
the relationship between humans and nature. “In
an era of climate change and global warming, the
message we wanted to project was that it was time
for the Homo Sapiens to re-connect with nature,
and treat the latter as part of themselves,” says team
leader of the agency that did the art work. Given
this background, human-nature idea on the wall
opposite the cafe seemed appealing to the artists,
especially since audience of the cafe would be able
to understand its importance, and assimilate the
relevant message.

CIVIL LINES
Today, it is the commercial hub of Prayagraj. After
India’s First War of Independence in 1857, the British
took action against some Indians. In the city, they
took on the local Mewatis in eight villages in this
area. The male members were hanged or shot, and the
women dishonoured because these villages supported
the Indian warriors. On the razed buildings and dead
bodies was built Canning Town, or Cannington,
which was later renamed Civil Lines. Today, it is the
central business district, with its urban settings, grid
iron plan roads, and high-rise buildings. One of the
paintings in and around the area include a life-size

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portrait of Amitabh Bachchan, as he was seen in the

role of Vijay in Bollywood hit, Deewar.

POLICE LINES
A gigantic, and haunting, portrait at Police Lines
is that of India’s most popular President, late. Dr.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. The site is 43 feet by 73 feet, and
looms over an open field. Even as it is meant to be
an inspiration for everyone who looks at it. This also
conveys a sense of a benign President looking down
at the progress of India in 2019, and who wishes to
convey the ideals of truth, honesty, and simple living
that he practiced throughout his life. When he was
in the President’s House, Shri Kalam was a symbol of
strength and trust, a sign of the country’s missile and
nuclear weapons programme, as well as a messenger of
peace. His was an image of a scientist, a builder of arms
and armaments, who believed in global harmony.
On the walls of the Police Lines, paintings are
upbeat. Images of horses are there, because it houses
stables for the horses used by Police Guards. Every
morning, as the guards march, these paintings seem
to be in sync with their activities. There are a series
of miniature paintings in Odisha’s Pattachitra style.
“Pattachitra is painted on a specially prepared cloth
(patta), coated with earth to stiffen it, and finally
finished with lacquer after painting, producing
motifs in vibrant colours. Pattas are now used as wall

Labour Court, Civil Lines

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PA I N T I N G S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y

hangings. The subject matter of Patta paintings is

closely connected with the (Lord) Jagannath cult, and
episodes from (Lord) Rama and (Lord) Krishna life.” It
is one of the three streams of paintings in Odisha.

BOAT CLUB
Although it is a modern facility, just over decades
old, the city’s Boat Club has become a popular centre.
“We found out the kind of people who visited the
club, and the nature of events held there. We felt that
the paintings should reflect feelings of the visitors.
Hence, we painted one side of the walls with boats,
water, and sky. On the other side is a paper boat
trapped in a narrow-neck bottle,” explains one of
the painters. As children, most of us were amazed by
paintings, pictures, and models of large boats inside
narrow-neck bottles. We were at loss to understand
how this was done. Only later, when we grew up, did
we realise that the bottle is built and blown up around
the boat, and boat isn’t pushed inside the bottle. This
painting is there to evoke the sense of innocence that
always lurks in our hearts.

NAINI CENTRAL JAIL

It’s a prison that’s associated with India’s freedom
movement. A number of freedom fighters languished
for months and years here, including Shri Motilal
Nehru, and his son and India’s first Prime Minister,

Rajkiya Mudralaya, Civil Lines

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Shri Jawaharlal Nehru. The latter wrote a series of

letters from jail to his daughter, Smt Indira Gandhi,
which were later published as a famous book,
Glimpses of World History. Other notable freedom
fighters in the jail included Shri Gobind Ballabh Pant
and Smt Vijayalakshmi Pandit. Even IndiraJi, and her
husband, Shri Feroze Gandhi, spent a few months
here. The painters of front wall of the jail depicted the
Manthan (churning of sea), which has mythological
importance. But that’s not the point – they thought
that they could get a mention in the Guinness Book of
World Records for the largest religious painting.
There is another related and interesting story behind
the work. Each of the five art agencies either painted
or wanted to draw the Manthan, which is closely linked
to Kumbh. Each one vied to make it the largest single
work under Paint My City. “We saw an opportunity
when we got to paint this huge site, because the
Manthan requires a horizontal wall. We worked for
days and nights researching in archives, university
library, and interviewed historians and academicians.
We referred to the original mythological writings. We
then prepared a detailed mock-up, which showed what
will be drawn over the entire wall. Now, we are proud
of this work by three dozen local artists,” explains
the team leader of this group of painters, which spent
weeks to complete the work.

Naini Central Jail

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SSL BOYS HOSTEL
The hostellers were adamant. They didn’t want
any painting on hostel walls. They wished to stay
away from the spiritual, religious, and mythological
subjects. When the artists went to meet the
representatives, they were asked to get out, and
stay away from the hostel. They were threatened
with consequences if they started the work. Over
several meetings, these artists patiently explained
to the students that this would be a work of pure art
without any connotations. They showed the mock-up
– two cool-looking babas, one with a camera, and the
other with the cycle. The coolness was crucial; it was
the only thing that could swing the tide in favour of
the art agency. The team leader promised that if the
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POETS AND ICONS
On the walls of the Bamrauli Airport are striking portraits
of famous poets and icons from Prayagraj. They include
Harivansh Rai Bachchan (Left), his son Amitabh (Next
Page), Sumitra Nandan Pant, Mahadevi Verma, and Baba
Ali. These are reminders of the cultural legacy of the city,
apart from its spirituality and religosity
painting didn’t turn out as shown in the mock-up,
a sadhu as an eyewitness to the goings-on in a images of Radha and Krishna couldn’t be seen. But
the wall would be whitewashed, and restored to its
bachelors’ hostel. weeks after the works were completed, the sellers
previous state. This worked.
Another narrative relates to the paintings on walls suddenly vanished; they now sell their wares in an
Today, the wall of the SSL Boys Hostel is a selfie
opposite hostel, across the road. Romantic paintings, adjoining bylane, as if to allow the youth to soak in
destination – students pose in front of it, and take
which show the pure love between Radha and Lord the purity of love and idealism.
photographs. The painting has gone viral on social
Krishna, adorn the walls. In an environment, where
media. The hostel and its residents are considered
the youth are obsesses with idealism and romance, GANGOLI SHIVALAY
cool because of the Camera-wale Baba and Cycle-
use of Krishna-Radha images lends certain purity, The head priest of the temple, located on Ganga ghat
wale Baba. “Cycle was important, as it is a common
honesty, and a platonic and pure angle to love and devoted to Lord Shiva, claimed that it is one of the
mode of transport. It was also cool. So was the
and idealism. It is as if the students are constantly oldest in the city, even a few thousand years old. What
camera. But there was another intention to show the
reminded of what they can be. In the night, the is true is that it is one of the prime sites for Kumbh
camera – in our heads, it seemed as if the traditional
images bristle and shine, highlighting the message. visitors. Anyone on this side of river cannot miss this
baba was clicking photographs of the things that
They can be seen from most of the adjoining huge painting on the wall. It depicts the marriage
happened inside a boys hostel,” says one of the
buildings. During day-time this street was covered procession of Lord Shiva, as it walks towards the
painters. Now that’s food for thought. Imagine
with pavement-sellers, who sold shoes. Hence, the residence of Goddess Parvati. The procession was one
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Bamrauli Airport
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OPTICS OF PAINTINGS
Some of the paintings will play magic with
the viewers’ eyes. For example, they will
keenly try to spot the real and painted
windows on this one. Or the difference
between the real and painted tree and
leaves in the painting on the next spread
Railway Awaas, Allahabad
Railway Junction
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T H E PA I N T I N G S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y
that had never been seen before, or ever afterwards.
The Danavas and Rakshasas walked along with Gods
and Goddesses without animosity. The bridegroom was
unlike any – his body was covered in ash and snakes
dangled from his torso. Lord Shiva, on his Nandi bull,
is behind the procession. “It is my favourite,” says
the deputy team leader in-charge of this site. “The
painting itself is exciting, and now with painted steps,
and the temple in the background, it looms large and
life-like. The work was also interesting because of the
head priest, who is quite a personality.”
In fact, the head priest cajoled the painters to work
on the steps, as well as the temple inside, although
the work- order was only for the wall. He jokingly
threatened that he would confiscate the paint and the
other material if they didn’t do it. The artists needed
little encouragement; they were invariably enthused by
the energy of the location owners. They willingly and
happily completed the extra work. “We may still have to
do more work because new steps were built,” says the
deputy team leader as late as end-December 2018.
When the artists worked late, the head priest offered
them chai, even dinner, if the food hadn’t arrived.
He was categorical that the painting on his temple
should be the best in the city. Hence, he took a
personal interest in it, monitoring it on a daily basis.
The head priest stuck up an intense and friendly
relationship with the painters, even though some of
them couldn’t speak the same language.
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Railway Awaas, Allahabad Railway Junction Rajkiya Mudralaya, Civil Lines

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 Saraswati Ghat

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STREET ART IN CHINA

In the East, street art

portraits include celebrities
and known people. In
Prayagraj, there were several
paintings of common people,
pilgrims, and tourists

PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 8 1
 Women and men, of
different age groups, take
a dip in the holy rivers
during the Kumbh

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Allahabad Railway Junction
1 8 4 / PA I N T MY C I T Y
CHAPTER5
ARTISTS OF
PAINT
MY CITY
T
HEY came from north and south, east and
west. They came from abroad – countries
like New Zealand. They spent months in the
city. They went berserk with adventure and painted
the town violet – well, literally, in different shades
of VIBGYOR spectrum. Imagine, two million square
feet of walls and buildings blazing with blue, red,
yellow, violet and green. They came from different
communities, spoke varying languages, hailed from
different socio-economic classes, and had varying
styles. Among the 1,500 artists and helpers, who
worked on hundreds of sites across Prayagraj, were
professional painters, sculptors, President Award
winners, holders of Guinness World Records, and
artists who were acclaimed in India and abroad. What
was more important was the involvement of local
artists in the project. The Mela Authority mandated
that 10% of overall work by the five art agencies
would be given to the local artists. Hence, local talent
was promoted. In addition, the average age of the
local painters was quite young, and they were paid in
various ways – some on per sq ft basis, others on the
overall designs, and a few on the daily wage basis.
One of the most recognised faces among the five art
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A RT I S T S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y

agencies was Anil Sutar, son of a renowned sculptor,

Ram V. Sutar, a Padma Shri awardee, who has created
some of the tallest and most popular sculptures across
the world. Although he is in his 90s, Ram Sutar, along
with his son, has built the world’s biggest statue
– a mammoth 552-feet bronze sculpture of Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel, country’s first Home Minister, in
the state of Gujarat. His son, Anil, is on his way to
gain a similar fame. With a Masters from Washington
University, he has “designed several internationally
acclaimed projects in USA, Middle East and Nigeria”.
He is considered a born sculptor and painter, and has
knowledge of architecture and engineering. Hence,
his projects reflect a mixture of science and art,
engineering and sculpting.

I N Prayagraj too, Anil and his team of painters

excelled in works that were realistic, life-size, and
haunting. They had the scale and scope in terms of
optics, visuals, and colours. To get a sense of what
they have done, visit the SSL Boys Hostel, and take
selfies with Camera-wale Baba and Cycle-wale Baba.
Or walk inside and outside the Prayagraj Railway
Junction to get a feel of the cultural, historical and
social legacy of India, Uttar Pradesh, and Prayagraj.
At the other extreme of artistic spectrum is Yogesh
Saini, the founder of Delhi Street Art. As we sat at
a chai shop alongside Triveni Underpass, one of the

New Mela Office

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agency’s sites under Paint My City, Saini explains

how he got into street art. “I am an engineer and
MBA by profession. For several years, I worked in the
Silicon Valley (the hub for technology start-ups in
the US). I founded a few tech firms. I am sad that I
simultaneously didn’t invest in a few others. When I
left US, the Google share was worth $500. Today, it is
over $1,000. Imagine the profits I could have made,”
he smiles and sighs. But he was always interested
in art. So, when he returned to India, he decided to
marry his business acumen with artistic passion. Thus
was born Delhi Street Art.
One of the agency’s first forays was in Delhi, when
it converted “150 garbage bins of Lodhi Gardens into
public canvasses on which amateur and professional
artists alike could experiment with their creativity”.
He talks fondly of the work in the slums of Delhi,
which changed the dirty and ugly urban villages
physically, socially, and culturally. It led to a social
transformation within the communities. “It was
normal in the slums, as it is common in most parts of
India, for households to throw their garbage on the
street. After we painted the slums, over weeks, we
found that most of it was deposited in the designated
bins. For us, and for the community, that was a huge
shift. The colours subconsciously forced the residents
to keep their physical spaces, even if they were slums,
cleaner,” he explains. To witness what the agency

New Mela Office

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A RT I S T S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y

has done in Prayagraj, don’t miss the larger-than-life

portraits of Shri A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and Shri Atal Bihari
Vajpayee, the former Prime Minister. Driving his own
car, and stuffed with samosas and bhature chole from
a roadside shanty restaurant, Saini was happy to show
his sites, and regale us with exciting stories.

I T is now time to focus on the professional painters,

most of whom were freelancers or self-employed.
They switch from their own works to projects like
Paint My City. For most of them, this was unique for
several reasons. It was an opportunity to do large-
scale works. “We never get to paint on such a large
physical canvass – like 50,000 sq ft in one go,” says
one of them. There was a physical reality of seeing
the city transform within months, and in front of
their eyes. Prayagraj was literally reconstructed and
rebuilt for Kumbh 2019. So, it wasn’t only the walls
and buildings that became colourful – permanent
structures like new roads, bridges, and flyovers were
built, and temporary ones were installed to ensure
accommodation, safety, and cleanliness. The Mela
Authority and city’s administrative preparations for
Kumbh were completed in terms of residences (tents),
sanitation, security and infrastructure. The city was
transformed, and Paint My City was one of the several
projects that helped to achieve this objective.
Yogi Kumar, or Artist Yogi as he refers to himself,

High Court Flyover

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 T H E A RT I S T S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y

is a painter with different facets. He represented

Promocare, but his overriding claim to fame is his
obsession with Amitabh Bachchan, the Allahabad-
born Bollywood star. He has painted the hero several
times, including a car full of hero’s portraits. Like
many of his generation, Yogi grew up watching
Bachchan films, and saw his transformation from an
angry young man, into the fantastical hero of the
later years. His favourite flick was Shahenshah, and
the star-fixation continued. But what Artist Yogi is
also famous for across the world is speed-painting.
At various live performances, he scribbles and
sketches portraits of famous Bollywood celebrities
and politicians within minutes. “I can draw a portrait
in two minutes, but only if I have done the same
personality before. Otherwise, it takes less than
five minutes,” he claims, even as he takes a bite of a
burger at Old Schoolboy’s Cafe. More importantly, he
is ambidextrous, he can sketch and paint with both
his hands. That’s what he does at the live shows.

P ASSIONATE about his work, Yogi was quick to

explain his team’s work, and how it overcame
the various challenges it faced. His team members
were so thrilled with Paint My City opportunity that
they painted the same figures that they drew at their
sites on the walls of their make-shift offices and
residences. “You see that turtle outside the main door

Foreign tourists thronged

to Kumbh 2019, not just to
enjoy the festival, but also
to explore the historical
heritage of Prayagraj, and
witness the beauty of the
confluence of rivers
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A RT I S T S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y
of this office; it is the same one we painted at one
of our sites. The same is true for the other figures in
this office,” he explains. He believes that street art
like Paint My City needs to have realistic paintings
with minute details. “That’s the way, the paintings
will force people to stop and stare. Even today, we
see drivers stop their vehicles to look at some of the
works done by us and other art agencies,” he claims.
W HAT was encouraging about street art in
Prayagraj was the involvement of local artists.
Several dozens of locals with degrees in fine art
were involved with the art agencies. A team of eight
artists, who worked for Insole, depicted the Manthan
on the front wall of Naini Central Jail. The team
leader, Prabhakar, categorically states that all his
team members are local painters. There were others,
another six dozens, who worked at the other sites
with other agencies. Thus, Paint My City provided an
enthralling break for them, not just for the size and
scale of the work, but also for the genre and nature
of the paintings. “It was wonderful that we helped
to make our city more colourful and beautiful. Each
time we pass a painting, especially the ones that we
worked on, we feel proud and satisfied. We have lived
in this city for decades, and now we have made a
difference,” says Prabhakar.
The “Jail Artists” enthusiastically posed for
photographs, and many of them shared their
professional stories. “Before we were hired for the
Bamrauli Airport
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project, we did odd jobs. These would include signage
for commercial enterprises, small paintings for
restaurants and hotels, which wished to decorate
their receptions, lobbies, and some of the premium
rooms. On rare occasions, we would land work in
near-by cities. Life was tough, but we could get by.
But there wasn’t the prospect of doing something big,
a large project to showcase our skills, to tell the world
that we are as good, if not better, than the painters
from Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai,” explains one of
them. Another one hopes that the Naini Jail Manthan
will lead to a churn in their professional lives. “May
be we will get better jobs in the future.”
I F you are near Sarojini Naidu Children Hospital
in Parayagraj, don’t miss the paintings on the
front and side walls. The blue, green and saffron will
enchant you. Two sadhus have a hypnosis-like hold,
and freeze you mentally so that you are forced to
gawk at them. They were painted by a wife-husband
duo Deeksha Bhardwaj Vashisht and Saumitra. They
worked at several other sites, including Teliyarganj,
and the flyovers at Ram Bagh and Alopi Bagh. But
they are no ordinary professionals. Deeksha holds the
world record for the longest painting of Lord Ganesha
on cloth. Drawn on a cloth that was 1,189 metre long
and a 1.25 metre wide, it has the God in several poses;
Hindu mythology talks of the lord’s 1,000 faces and
poses. Jokes Saumitra, “You know, I haven’t seen that
full painting. It is an ordeal to open it. I saw few at the
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 1 9 7
 LOCAL LADS & WORLD RECORD HOLDER
On the left are the painters from Prayagraj, who hold
degrees in fine arts from the city’s university. They painted
the manthan on the front wall of Naini Central Jail. More
importantly, this was the largest project, a grand opportunity
to showcase their talents to the world. They hope that this
will lead to a positive churn in their professional lives.
Deeksha and Saumitra (Top) worked at several sites; the
former holds a world record for her painting of the images of
Lord Ganesha on a cloth that was 1,189 m x 1.25 m

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A RT I S T S O F PA I N T M Y C I T Y
SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
Yogesh Saini of Delhi Street Art at Arail Ghat. He feels that
wall paintings, and similar projects, can lead to social change.
He saw that in the slums of Delhi, where households began to
throw their garbage in designated bins, and not on the street.
He witnessed it in Prayagraj, as people, especially, the youth
were enthused to participate in Paint My City. “Several parents
approached us, and requested that their sons and daughters be
allowed to paint the walls in their localities,” he says
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beginning.” On her website, Deeksha writes, “I always
wanted to do something crazy, something next to
impossible, which couldn’t even be thought of doing
alone, therefore, I thought and commenced on the
project LORD or Length of Real Devotion.”
F OR the couple, who were married in 2016, this was
the first opportunity to paint on walls. “It was a
once-in-a-lifetime experience. We painted on massive
walls and flyover structures – on busy highways,
standing and working on chilly nights. It was simply an
amazing and unforgettable experience. I can go on and
on about it,” says Saumitra. The duo works out of Delhi.
Wife is more famous, and her other works include the
organisation of several shows at leading art galleries
such as Lalit Kala Academy, Triveni Art Gallery, and
AIFACS. She paints on several mediums, oil and acrylic,
canvas and paper. There is cubism influence, and she
wishes to juxtapose human forms, and uses bright
palette, along with imaginative visualisation.
However, one needs mention the artists, who
wished to remain nameless; some refused to be
photographed. A few were famous, like Chennai-
based painter, a winner of the President Award.
After considerable cajoling by his team leader, who
too refused to be photographed, the Chennai artist
agreed. But only for a group one with colleagues who
painted the wall and steps of Gangoli Shivalay. There
were others, who wanted their work to speak for them.
One of them was a psychology painter. “My paintings
have doses of emotions and psychology,” he explains.
Possibly that’s why he shied away from the camera.
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 2 0 1
STREET ART IN JAPAN

In Japan, one can see a mix of street art

genres, from the graffiti and distorted style to
realistic ones, including traditional and modern
cultural motiffs

PA I N T MY C I T Y / 2 0 3
 CHAPTER 6

COMMUNITY ENGAGES WITH

PAINT
MY CITY
P
UBLIC engagement with Paint My City began
as soon as the Mela Authority, Prayagraj
Administration, and the five art agencies
swung into action. During the initial stages, when
sites were selected, a serious and active attempt was
made to speak to the residents to obtain their views
on what should be painted on the walls. This was
because the organisers wanted to make the art works
relevant to local aesthetics. At Coach Care Centre,
buffaloes were depicted because a community of
herders lived along the road. At another location,
the locals urged that a goat be included because
they were goat herders. “We wanted the public to
be involved right from the beginning,” says a team
leader of one of the art agencies. “If public and local
sentiments aren’t taken into consideration, street
art turns into a soulless and emotionless exercise,”
remarks an official.
The Mela Authority asked one of the art agencies
to hold an event, Paint For Prayag, in the initial
stages to involve local people, and also to educate
them about Paint My City project. Over 1,000 people,
including students, came to the Medical College,

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

along with his cabinet ministers
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 P U B L I C R E AC T I O N T O PA I N T M Y C I T Y

participated in a painting competition based on the

The walls of the girls’ same themes as the project, and watched the artists
hostel were not in proper in action. These paintings were subsequently stored
at the Mela Authority office.
condition. Now, we As the project progressed, public involvement
feel better and happier intensified, albeit in a different manner. Enthused

because of the colours by the Mela Authority’s and artists’ efforts, people
helped in whatever ways they could. “At several sites,
and cleanliness. The they offered us abundant quantity of tea, snacks, and

government took the right food. They regularly checked if we needed anything.
Some of them even helped us to remove the malba,
initiative. Most of the city dirt, and other obstacles in front of the walls and

looks attractive because of buildings. At night, people took trips on their cars and
motorcycles, just to gauge the paintings’ progress, as
Paint My City, and Kumbh well as to ensure that we were comfortable,” admits
2019 an artist. At several locations, the local shopkeepers,
street vendors, and residents were excited about the
Indrani (Left)
Law Student paintings. In many cases, the street sellers willingly
(Allahabad University) shifted their makeshift shops to allow the painters to
access the walls.

M IDWAY, while the work on paintings was in

progress, participation of residents grew.
At the Pensioners’ Colony, a middle-aged resident
walked up to a senior artist and requested him to
allow his daughter to join the painters. When the
daughter duly did so the next day, other parents
submitted similar requests. Several children joined
in. “Each day, when children came back from schools,
they asked us to wait until they changed into their
painting clothes, and joined us,” says an artist. The

Outside Girl’s Hostel,

Lucknow Road
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P U B L I C R E AC T I O N T O PA I N T M Y C I T Y
owner of one of the art agencies explains, “This
invariably happens. The locals want to participate
in street art, whether we work in residential areas,
slums, or commercial complexes. It happened in
most places where we have worked earlier, including
in New Delhi. In fact, children and teenagers are
happy to do even the monotonous work, like carrying
the paint from one area to another, and making a few
brush strokes.”
There were some interesting anecdotes related
to public participation. At Arail Ghat, the official
work order included painting of the walls of a few
ashrams. But when others saw the works, they
begged the authorities and artists to paint their
walls and buildings. Requests came in almost
daily. “Suddenly, we found that instead of half-
a-dozen ashrams, we had to paint a dozen. The
more we painted, the more requests flowed in. I
personally met heads of several ashrams to discuss
the mock-ups. It was energising. Nothing is more
satisfying than new owners asking you to paint
their properties. We did so gladly. In fact, we were
enthusiastic about doing the extra work,” says an
owner of an art agency. Today, the lane in Arail Ghat
across the Ganga, is full of exciting colours and
riveting religious images. Some artists speculate
that in near future, the locals will rename it as the
“Devotion Street”.
Outside Prayag Railway Junction too, there was
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considerable local interest. A lawyer requested the
artists if they could also paint a street temple. “It
will look nice. It will add a new hue to it.” The team
leader of the art agency immediately responds,
“Absolutely, but only if you first clean up the place,
and distemper it. We will happily do the painting.”
Later, the team leader adds, “I don’t mind the work.
I want them to make additional efforts, instead of
putting in requests.” Later, a lower-level army-man
walks up to the artists. “There is an army property
nearby. The walls were painted years ago. How can
we get you to paint it afresh?” he asked. He was
politely guided to put in an application with the Mela
Authority, which issues the work orders. The army-
man notes down the name and room number, and
trudges along.
At the Naini Information Centre, two mobile
phones, including an iPhone, were misplaced by
the artists. Since the area doesn’t have a residential
colony, and is sprayed with a few commercial shops,
the artists felt that it would be impossible to get
them back. “When the locals, who worked around
the Centre, got to know about the incident, they
assured us that they will retrieve them. We didn’t
believe them. But imagine our surprise when one
of the phones was returned the next day. And our
shock when the second one, the iPhone, too came
back intact,” explains one of the artists. When
this incident was narrated to the officials in Mela
Everything becomes
colourful during the Kumbh
— from the streets to ghats.
This time the walls of the
residences and offices were
also seeped in paintings
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 2 0 9
P U B L I C R E AC T I O N T O PA I N T M Y C I T Y

Authority, they were pleasantly surprised, but also

The paintings have not just
filled with pride.
An artist narrated another incident. When he was happened in the university,
working at Prayag Railway Junction, he noticed but across the city. The
a young couple that continuously looked at their
mobiles, and then at the completed and semi-
objective is to showcase
completed paintings on the platform’s walls. A the Indian culture and
peek showed that the couple was going through a
PDF of all the paintings under Paint My City that
tradition. There are several
was collated and circulated by the Mela Authority. locations where our rishis,
“Somehow, they had got hold of it, and were using
munis, and sadhus, who
the PDF as a reference for the various locations.
Later, we found that they had gone to the other sites are an integral part of our
that interested them the most to look at the actual culture, have been painted
art works. It was a proud moment for us. Our efforts
had generated a new tourist trek in the city that by the various artists.
wasn’t solely religious,” explains the artist. During The idea is to also make
subsequent formal and informal interactions with
the public, the Mela Authority found that others were
Prayagraj beautiful
using the specific PDF in a similar manner. Abhinav (Right)
College Student
(Allahabad University)
O VER time, the paintings started generating
higher footfalls. At places, people would stop
and gaze at the works. At others, they would point
them out to their companions and friends. Some
of the sites became famous as selfie spots. These
included the painting on the walls of the SSL Boy’s
Hostel in the university area. Some of the paintings
went viral on social media. “When the painting

Allahabad University
2 1 0 / PA I N T MY C I T Y PA I N T MY C I T Y / 2 1 1

Tourists will feel happier
coming to the city because
of Paint My City. Some
of the paintings, like
those of national icons,
will motivate people,
especially youngsters like
us. The biggest message
of the paintings is that we
need to keep our city clean
and safe
Anuraag Yadav (Centre)
School Student
(Teliyarganj Colony)
Teliyarganj
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P U B L I C R E AC T I O N T O PA I N T M Y C I T Y
outside the Pensioners’ Colony was uploaded, there
were comments from people across India and abroad.
Some of them said that they used to live in the colony
years ago and, after the painting, the building looked
beautiful,” says a painter. Video clips of some of the
paintings were uploaded on Facebook and other
social media. These were shared enthusiastically on
WhatsApp.
On New Year’s Eve of 2019, dozens of young people
gathered at the Naini Information Centre, and posed
in front of the paintings. They were partying there
to ring in 2019. In some ways, the sites and locations
became entertainment and celebration spots. It was
like an outing to go and visit the sites.
A CCORDING to research paper by Virag Molnar,
street art is now considered to be a “lens on
the workings of the contemporary public sphere to
capture changing uses of urban public spaces and
shifting conceptions of social order in the city”. Its
popularity is increasing, even as public spaces are
shrinking and “control over its use has tightened
considerably”. The use of social media has created
a new ecology in urban street art. Over time, either
deliberately or due to societal and other pressures,
street art can become permanent public art. In most
countries, the common street art form is graffiti.
Experts feel that it is the longest-lasting trend
because even cave art can be considered to be graffiti.
PA I N T MY C I T Y / 2 1 3
 P U B L I C R E AC T I O N T O PA I N T M Y C I T Y

Sara Cochran, a US-based curator, explains, “Graffiti

The paintings have made a is an affirmation of the individual. The idea of graffiti
difference in the city. It is has a lot to do with raw energy and authenticity.”

good that the government All these signs, in essence, were visible in Prayagraj’s
Paint My City in varying forms as the Mela Authority,
undertook the project. Prayagraj Administration, Uttar Pradesh government,

Even I feel good about art agencies, and communities engaged with the project.
Yet, it is essentially different from other forms of global
it. People came from street art. For one, it was always conceived as a part
abroad, as far as Japan, to of the beautification of the city, unlike graffiti, which
expresses anger, frustration, protest, revolt, repressed
see the paintings during ideas, and ideals. Two, the art form in Prayagraj is
the Kumbh. At least realistic and life-like, unlike the normal street art, which

twice a day, I see either is mostly distorted, twisted, and exaggerated. Until the
use of the longer-lasting spray paints, street art was
residents or visitors taking transient – someone would draw, over the years the

photographs of the art walls would be whitewashed, and another artist would
paint it again. The paintings of Prayagraj will remain
works and paintings intact for at least five years, if not more. Finally, the

Hari Lal paintings in Prayagraj are aimed to create good urban

Street Vendor ambience for the residents and tourists.
(Lucknow Road)

I N France, for instance, two of the seminal works

include the Òmacabre imagery of the destruction
caused by the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima, which
were painted by Gerard Zlotykamien (1971). The other
was by Pignon Ernest who, from 1975 to 1980, drew “a
snapshot of their (his parents) journey into an uncertain
and, in many ways, scary future”, as they were thrown
out of their home. In the US, graffiti was invariably

Outside Girl’s Hostel, Lucknow Road

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P U B L I C R E AC T I O N T O PA I N T M Y C I T Y

associated with street gangs and their wars, tensions

between the whites and African-Americans, thriving
The residents of this
hip-hop culture, and protests against prejudices. colony are mostly devout.
One of the globally-renowned street artists is Banksy;
no one knows his real identity, and he has never
Hence, the paintings of
revealed himself. Even his parents don’t know about the Gods and Goddesses
him. “The most common form of street art Banksy
in an area, where there
uses is stencils. These are often in the form of multi-
layered stencils and/or combined with other media are temples, impact the
sources, such as spray-paint. He also includes anything believers in a positive way.
found in the streets like street signs and other objects
to convey his message by crafting beautiful street
Even outsiders are more
art installations. His art work is often satirical and willing to understand our
combines dark humour with graffiti and also spreads
messages across art, philosophy, and politics.” His
culture because of the
art works are seen in several countries, and he has paintings
travelled to several continents.
Shiv Kumar Mishra
Another distinction between Paint My City and Local Resident
global street art is their respective relationship with Shiv Kutir, Ganga Ghat
culture. The latter is usually contemporary, and
changes with subtle transformations in the society.
So what was once popular loses out, and gives way
to another – like gangster art was replaced by hip-
hop between 1920s and 1960s in the US. But some
of the works in Prayagraj are related to traditional
culture, including religion and spirituality. In a sense
it isn’t modern, although the form is of recent origin.
It depicts mythology, and legends – stories that one
believes in. In Prayagraj, the past and present are co-
joined, which leads to an unusual form of street art.

Shiv Kutir
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 Railway Colony,
Near Pani Ki Tanki

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STREET ART IN DELHI

In Delhi, there are

several wall paintings, but
they are quite different
from those in Prayagraj

PA I N T MY C I T Y / 2 2 1