Bangalore/ Bengaluru: M
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Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Road
Metro boulevard
The Times of India, Aug 04 2016
Sunita Rao
Under Bengaluru Metro, boulevard gave fillip to creativity, art & culture
In the heart of MG Road, a commercial hub, a 400-metre expanse under the Metro corridor presents a colourful picture. It's the Metro boulevard.
Every first weekend of the month, this space hosts a flea market and cultural and recreational events happen from time to time. There's a beautiful walkway too. Reclaiming derelict urban spaces through community initiatives is Bengaluru's strength. This brainchild of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has been an urban hotspot since 2013.
Right from a café, a branded restaurant, a theatre, an art gallery , space for artefacts and crafts, a little nursery , milk parlour, to a public toilet, the boulevard houses urban necessities under one roof. Then you have the green walkway right next to Mahatma Gandhi Metro station. The daily footfall here is said to be 1,000; on weekends, it goes up to 4,000.
“It's a place for art, culture and creativity . But not activism. It's been a meeting space for many .Evenings here are known for storytelling sessions, puppetry, theatre, book-reading sessions, music festivals, painting workshops for children etc,“ said U A Vasanth Rao, the chief public relations officer of BMRCL. He added that work was on to paint the Metro pillars.
While the boulevard was a government initiative, the space below the Richmond Road flyover was a visual treat provided by Jaaga.in, an art organisation that altered the main but ugly thoroughfare of east Bengaluru. The unique shadow art painted on 20 pillars is quite a headturner. In May 2015, artist Archana Prasad and the founder of Jaaga.in took a close look at the dirty dump yards beneath the flyover along with her team. They then started to work on a makeover plan. “There were two objectives: to engage the locals in transforming public places through art so that there was a sense of ownership; and to bring artists to public places.The stretch beneath the flyover was dark, so we chose bright golden yel low to paint the 20 pillars, to make it look airy , light and bright. We found regular walkers--people who work close to the flyover--and asked them to leave behind their shadows on the pillars,“ Prasad said.
The project was a collaboration with artists Archana Prasad, Athreya Chidambi, Kamya Ramachandran, Vivek Chockalingam and Sharwari Tilloo. But it hasn't been easy to make the space garbage and poster-proof. “We do get calls from residents who alert us about posters coming up on painted pillars and we act immediately . Residents themselves have taken efforts remove the posters many a times. There is a sense of awareness and ownership among the locals about the beautification of their neighbourhood now,“ Prasad said.
Bengaluru has also seen a rise in citizen activism in reclaiming public spaces: right from painting the walls of government hospitals and schools to rejuvenating lakes.
See also
Indpaedia has several pages on
Bangalore/ Bengaluru , e.g.
Bangalore/ Bengaluru: M
Bangalore: Parliamentary elections
