Beautification of Metro pillars: Glimpses from Sahaj Path, emoticons form creative themes

Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) will inaugurate paintings on some pillars of the proposed New Garia-Airport Metro route with pictures from Sahaj Path.

The decorated columns will be opened on August 8, which according to the Bengali calendar is the 22nd day of the month of Sharavana, the death anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. This is for the first time in the state when steps have been taken to decorate pillars where construction works are being carried out.

Tagore had written Sahaj Path in two volumes for toddlers to learn the Bengali language. He wrote small poems to introduce Bengali vowels

(swarobarna) to the children in the 1930s.

The sketches were made by none other than Nandalal Bose. Children, even today, enter into the world of Bengali literature through Sahaj Path.

Six pillars opposite Rabi Aranya in Eco Park have been painted with various sketches from Sahaj Path. A five-acre plot inside Eco Park has been named Rabi Aranya where trees mentioned by Tagore in his literature have been planted. The forest is one of the star attractions. The open pillars of the proposed Metro construction presented an aesthetically displeasing sight to lakhs of visitors at Eco Park and also the passers-by using Biswa Bangla Sarani. HIDCO has painted two more pillars of the New Garia Airport Metro construction with emoticons.

The pillars, painted in jet black, with the emoticons painted in shining yellow have drawn the attention of the passers-by. The lamp posts in New Town are being painted to give the entire area an aesthetic look.

Those in Action Area III near St. Xavier's University campus are being decorated with flower pots. The lamp posts near the bus terminus in Action Area I have also been decorated. It may be mentioned that after coming to power in 2011, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged HIDCO officials to take measures to give New Town a few unique features.

Accordingly, Eco Park was developed and now it is one of the finest urban parks in the country where footfall has crossed over 80 lakhs.

The decorated lights that are put up at New Town along Biswa Bangla Sarani make night driving a pleasure.

New Town is coming up as a green city where the green cover has been remarkably increased.