: The Narela railway station, till a few weeks ago, was like any of the hundreds of drab, small stations that dot the Capital. But it has now got an artistic makeover that would make anyone to gape in awe.
The station was taken up for beautification by Delhi Street Art, a non-profit organisation that has undertaken many street art projects in the Capital and elsewhere in the country. The material and logistics were provided by the Delhi Division of the Indian Railways, and seven artists and volunteers got together to revamp the station.
As part of the efforts, Delhi Street Art has painted the slanting roof of the main station building and adorned the walls with murals. The artwork will now be replicated elsewhere.
“We were asked by the Railways if we could give an interesting makeover to the station,” said Yogesh Saini of Delhi Street Art. “The station was built in 1890, and one of the first as you enter Delhi from Haryana through the Sonepat route. The older building had to be restored a bit,” he said.
According to the Railways, the project also forms a part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. “It promotes the message of cleanliness. We are in touch with more such groups so that we can execute similar street art,” said Neeraj Sharma, Chief PRO, Northern Railways.
He added, “We have got similar work done in Hapur, but in Delhi, we started with Narela.”
Organisation’s history
Delhi Street Art was started about two-and-half years ago. It has done similar work at Delhi’s Shankar Market and Connaught Place middle circle. “We started with painting garbage cans for the New Delhi Municipal Council, followed by Shankar Market and Bal Bhawan,” Mr. Saini said.
The team works for commercial engagements as well as public good, such as painting shelters for the homeless. “Our group comprises art students and professionals, engineers, architects, and volunteers,” he said. The team has also worked in Bhopal, Pune and Ahmedabad.
