'Humayun’s Tomb', 'Eiffel Tower' come up on Delhi walls as MCD decorates city for G20

The Delhi municipal authorities have begun decorating drab public walls in the city, including those of garbage dumps, with thematic paintings and murals for the G20 summit and meetings scheduled in 2023.

Some of the murals have come up in the last few days, including one near Gandhi Darshan at Rajghat.

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"We have started the work to decorate the city with artistic murals for the G20 events and the summit later in 2023. Beautiful paintings have been done on public walls at many locations, and walls of 'dhalaos' (dump yards) are also getting adorned with artwork to enhance the look and feel of the city," a senior official of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) told PTI.

The 'dhalao' near Gandhi Darshan was, until a few days ago, a spot passers-by would avoid, but now, it has become a "sort of a head turner" complete with fresh bright coloured walls.

This mural depicts the famous monuments from various countries which are part of the influential G20 grouping.

Humayun's Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been portrayed on one of its walls in bright orange and ochre hues against a blue backdrop and a colourful 'G20' logo mounted on top.

London's iconic 'Big Ben' rises tall on the edge of the 'dhalao' building and the 'Statue of Liberty' on another side of the walls, standing next to the celebrated 'Eiffel Tower' of Paris and flanked by St Basil's Cathedral of Russia.

The Big Ben in the UK's capital city is a world renowned tower clock, famous for its massive bell and iconic image that is often used to represent London.

'The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World' is an iconic monument and veritable symbol of New York City and in many ways, America. Dedicated in 1886, it was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the US and is recognised as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy.

Adding verve to the setting is Sydney's Opera House, a world famous cultural site in the Australian city, the Colosseum of Rome, a global heritage attraction in the capital city of Italy, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and 'Christ the Redeemer' – an iconic towering statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Several people were seen clicking selfies with the murals in the background, perhaps unaware of the dumping zone hidden behind the walls.

"We are putting our best foot forward and the idea is to transform the look and feel of the city while improving the level of sanitation. Artwork is a good way to do that as we have done it earlier to promote 'Swachh Bharat' and 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', and now the G20. It is a matter of pride that India is its chair and Delhi will host the summit in September 2023," the official said.

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In other areas of the city, huge murals have been created on roadside walls with a prominent depiction of the G20 logo and its theme.

The logo has been depicted with the letter 'G' along with the numeral '2' in a hue of orange and green, and the numeral '0' has been portrayed symbolically with a globe in blue-and-white shade, sitting atop a lotus bearing a matching hue of orange and green. Below the logo is the age-old motto 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' and the words -- 'One Earth. One Family. One Future'.

India assumed the year-long presidency of G20 on December 1.

In November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the logo, theme and the website of India's G20 presidency during an online event.

"It is a matter of pride for all Indians; it will bring greater glory for all Indians," he had said.

The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the world's major developed and developing economies.

The grouping comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union.

MCD officials had recently said that the civic body has accelerated its work for giving a makeover to parks, roads, walkways and central verges for the G20 events.

New toilets will be built and old ones will be repaired across five zones of the MCD as part of the civic body's preparations for the G20 summit, the officials had said.

More than 200 meetings of the G20 will be held at 55 locations in India and the summit will take place in the national capital in September 2023.

Several roads and parks will be beautified, trees illuminated and public art will be installed at many locations in Delhi, civic officials have said.