The Secunderabad railway station sports a new look with Cheriyal scroll paintings adorning its walls that drive lineage from Cheriyal village near Warangal. The exquisite paintings welcome passengers at two entrances to the station, and embellish walls at the platform and waiting hall too.
With different sequences of a theme painted in varied hues of red, the paintings depict the local setting, costumes and culture giving a distinct look to the station that helped it bag the third prize at the all India level for its look and upkeep.
The first prize was bagged by Balharshah and Chandrapur stations; second prize went to Madhubani and Madurai, while Gandhidham and Kota shared the third prize with Secunderabad. Earlier, the Ministry of Railways had invited nominations for stations where beautification was done with local art.
The Secunderabad station was adjudged third by an evaluation committee set up to review 62 entries received from 11 zonal railways. The murals that adorn the walls of the station include Bathukamma depicting the vibrant festival celebrated in Telangana for nine days during Durga Navratri.
The others include a marriage ceremony showing the sequence of a Telugu wedding; Gangireddulu that depicts the tradition followed during Makar Sankranti when a decorated bull goes from house to house led by its master; earthen pots ( matkis ), a homage to potters and their artistry, that depicts the process of making earthen pots used for storing water and food; and various stages of paddy cultivation.
