Vadodara’s artists’ contribution in new terminal building of Dehradun

Dehradun’s Jolly Grant Airport’s new terminal was inaugurated by Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on October 08, 2021. The terminal has a major contribution from Vadodara. The mural was created and designed by artists from Vadodara and finally executed by Akshay Joshi from Dehradun.

The newly developed project cost Rs 325 crore, the newly inaugurated building is spread in an area of 28,729 sqm. During peak hours, it will be able to manage 1,200 passengers which expanded the capacity of the airport by eight-fold.

The building flaunts India’s largest Art wall mural in terms of size and medium used. Jotiraditya Scindia appraised the artwork in the presence of the Chief Minister of Urratakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami, MoS Dr. Gen. VK Singh, and other dignitaries. He called the curator of Artwork Sachin Kaluskar and the executor Akshay Joshi on stage and applauded the tremendous job of creating such huge artwork which will give a pleasant welcome to the passengers.

“The design thought process, and creative discussions were all done by Jitendra Solanki and me. The idea is to show a glimpse of the state when anyone visits. We try to accommodate famous places, folklore, legends, and other things that Uttrakhand is known for and designed the mural with creative inputs from the CM office, ” said curator Sachin Kaluskar.

He also added that during all his work he tried to accommodate local talents in order to give them a platform as well as generate local income for them. The site execution is done by Akshay Joshi from Dehradun.

Reflecting the rural landscape and slices of tradition and culture of the region, the terminal paints an aesthetic picture, attracting the attention of tourists from across the globe. The illustration depicts Nanda – Sunanda Devi, India’s second-highest mountain at 7,817 m mountain in the sacred Himalaya, which is a manifestation of the goddess Parvati, who is both an important deity in her own right as well as the consort of the Hindu god Shiva. The woman is seen wearing the traditional Rangwali Pichora, one of the very important attires worn by the bride during the Kumaoni wedding ceremony. It is generally gifted to the bride from the Groom’s side. All the married ladies adorn Pichora on all auspicious occasions including the wedding.

The Illustration highlights the four prominent holy shrines in Uttarakhand dedicated to Hindu Gods and holy rivers of India. Pilgrims from all over India and abroad visit the shrines as “Char Dham Yatra”, to avail the blessings of gods adorning the shrines. It Further depicts Gurudwara Shri Hemkund Sahib Ji, situated at an altitude of around 4,329 m, on the bank of the pristine Hemkund (Lokpal) lake, which draws thousands of pilgrims every year.

The Mural wall transcends to Har Ki Pauri, a famous ghat on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar and Rishikesh, the World Capital of Yoga. This revered place is the major landmark of the holy city of Haridwar. Literally, “Har” means “God”, “Ki” means “of” and “Pauri” means “steps”, where pilgrims bathe to relieve themselves of their sins and achieve salvation. Rishikesh translates to “city of saints”. Legend has it that the sage Rishi Raibhya sat on the banks of the Ganges and performed severe penance in the form of austerity and extreme yoga practices.

Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand is India’s first and oldest national park. These wildlife reserves are not only significant for the conservation of ‘wild nature’ for posterity but also as a symbol of national pride. Due to biodiversity present in the state, 12 percent of the total geographical area is protected areas which include 6 National Park, 7 Wildlife Sanctuary, 4 Conservation & 1 Biosphere Reserve.

Ramman is one of the religious and ritual festivals in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand is included in UNESCO’s intangible heritage list in 2009. Another famous regional dance form, Choliya dance is the sword dance, meant to depict the martial art traditions of the Kumaoni tribe.

The Nanda Devi Raj Jaat Yatra organized once in 12 years begins from Nauti Village in Karanprayag and ends in Roopkund. The pious yatra involves 280 km of trekking.

“The artwork is a true mirror reflection of Incredible Uttarakhand, that depict the pristine charm of the Devine Spiritual Heritage to the eye-catching murals highlighting the essence of the festivities and Wildlife to the intangible Cultural Heritage, certified by World Book of Records, London for being India’s largest wall mural in terms of size and medium. The size is 83 meters X 7.9 meters and the medium is Intricately carved & painted AAC blocks. The time period was January 2020 – May 2021 as Corona lockdown halted the work for more than 6 months,” said Kaluskar.