The Sawai Madhopur railway station in eastern Rajasthan, gateway to the renowned Ranthambore National Park, has won the National Tourism Award 2014-15 for the ‘best tourist-friendly railway station’.
Visitors to it are greeted by startlingly beautiful art depicting Ranthambore’s diverse fauna in its natural habitat, including colourfully rendered scrub jungles, banyan trees, leopards, bears, darters, tree-pies, and the fabled tigers — a pleasant surprise when compared with the dull and pan-stained walls commonly seen elsewhere.
Divisional Railway Manager Seema Kumar said that in addition to its beautification, Sawai Madhopur, earlier notified India’s first heritage railway station, boasts of world-class facilities in drinking water, retiring rooms and bio-toilets, and passenger-friendly platforms. West Central Railway General Manager Ramesh Chandra received the award at a ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Saturday.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Minister of State for Tourism Mahesh Sharma gave away the prize.
Two master painters from the Ranthambhore School of Art, Gajanand Singh and Narayan Singh, led the project featured over approximately 7,000 square feet. The idea of creating art in public spaces is a brainchild of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
