Ahmedabad, 19 March 2012

There’s something in making at Ahmedabad’s Kankaria lake front. And the work is half done so far.

It’s a mural on the wall of the Kankaria lake front.

It is an attempt to showcase the cultural richness of Gujarat on a large scale on permanent basis.

Couple of years back, Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi visited Umiya mata mandir of north Gujarat’s Unjha during Kadva Patidar community function. He saw a beautiful mural on the walls of the campus of Umiya mata mandir. Carved in stone, such mural would last for centuries, he noted and asked the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to make a grad mural showcasing the glimpses of Gujarat at Kankaria lake front.

The AMC put the idea in action last year in winter, and Modi inaugurated a part of first phase of mural during Kankaria carnival in December 2011. Modi in his speech urged the prominent citizens of Ahmedabad to give their suggestions on content of mural.

After half completion of the mural work, the AMC has now started inviting groups of citizens to visit it seeking their suggestions.

It will be a 6000 ft Gurjar Gaurav Gatha spread in 30000 square ft area when completed. When completed, it will be the world’s biggest mural project. Rs 3 crore initial phase work involves 10,000 square ft mural. So far 3150 square ft work has been completed in 320 running foot involving Rs 90 lakh cost. A firm ‘Time line design consortium’ has been appointed as consultant designer to complete this work.

Ten subjects of this ongoing mural project are: Throne of pride of Gujarat (history of Ahmedabad), On the trail of the time( great rulers of Gujarat), King of the sea ( Gujarat’s ports), Commerce and good practices( ethical business-trade traditions), Awareness, education, swaraj ( a journey to our cultural heritage), Gurjar mirror ( acting and literature of Gujarat), the people of the land ( expression of culture in the geographical land of Gujarat), Swarnim Gujarat ( a story of today’s Gujarat), Vishwa Gurjari (global Gujaratis), selected pearls (uncommon stories of common Gujaratis in past centuries).

On Sunday, a group of religious leaders were invited to visit Kankaria lake front mural. Such guided tour of mural for invitees will be held every Sunday now onwards for doctors, architects, authors, social servant, actors, academicians, industrialists, lawyers, bureaucrats among others.