New Delhi: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Friday inaugurated “Srijan”, an open-air art gallery and creative platform at the Nehru Park here, aimed at fostering public engagement with art and culture in open and accessible spaces.
NDMC Chairman Keshav Chandra and Vice Chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal inaugurated the revamped space in the presence of eminent artists, including Padma Shri awardees Biman Bihari Das and Jai Prakash Lakhiwal, and senior artist Rameshwar Broota, said an official statement.
A highlight of the event was live art demonstrations by celebrated artists, offering a rare experience for visitors to witness the creative process, the statement issued by the NDMC added.
“Srijan”, first established in 1999 as an artists’ corner, has now been upgraded into a modernized 15,225 square meters open-air gallery featuring curated art corners, landscaped gazebos, public seating and a dedicated display area.
The space will host regular exhibitions, workshops and interactive events with free public entry.
The NDMC chairman said the new gallery reflects the spirit of ‘Viksit Bharat’, India’s vision for a progressive and
culturally vibrant future.
“Over the years, Srijan has hosted numerous paintings and sculpture exhibitions, workshops on pottery, sculpture and painting as well as on-the-spot art events and drawing competitions amongst the school students for nurturing generations of artists,” said Chandra.
“Srijan is a creative haven where artists and communities can come together in an inclusive and inspiring environment,” he added.
Chahal highlighted the gallery is part of the NDMC’s larger initiative to bring art into public life.
He informed that NDMC has allocated Rs 40 crore to its newly formed Art and Culture Department and constituted an Urban Arts and Culture Forum to drive this vision.
“To provide institutional support to these cultural efforts, the NDMC has constituted an Urban Arts and Culture Forum through a formal Council Resolution, which is tasked with driving the NDMC’s artistic and cultural agenda through strategic outreach, curated programs and policy execution,” Chahal said.
The civic body’s initiative aims to make Lutyens Delhi not just a political capital, but also a global centre of creativity and cultural excellence.