Artworks on tunnel walls in Shimla draw tourists

Tribune News Service

Sameer Singh

Shimla, December 20

Artwork (paintings) depicting local culture and art on tunnel walls in different parts of the city have been drawing attention of tourists and local residents alike these days. The aesthetic makeover of these tunnels is on display at Auckland Tunnel, Dhalli Tunnel and Victory Tunnel in the city.

These paintings on tunnel walls, providing glimpses of Himachal’s folk dance, local attire, culture, art forms, musical instruments, occupation, mountains and trees have become the centre of attraction for the passers-by. There are more than 200 paintings on newly-constructed double-lane Dhalli Tunnel by artists from Delhi. On the walls of Victory Tunnel too, paintings of places with historical significance and tourists engrossed in marvels of nature’s beauty would be drawn. Tourists cannot help but take note of these artworks on tunnel walls, halt for some time and take pictures/selfies with these.

The work on Dhalli Tunnel, which connects Dhalli with Upper Shimla areas, is near completion. The Himachal Pradesh Road and Other Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (HPRIDC), the agency implementing the Smart City Project, is lending final touches to it before handing it over to the Public Works Department to throw it open to the public.

This double-lane tunnel would provide the much-needed respite from traffic congestion on this road. Earlier, traffic movement on the old British-era tunnel was only one-way, thereby leading to long queues of vehicles on both sides of the tunnel during peak hours. The formal inauguration of the tunnel is expected to be done soon.

A senior HPRIDC official said, “The artwork on tunnel walls has been done from tourism point of view. These paintings not only add to the aesthetic charm of the tunnels, but also provide glimpses of local art and culture to the tourists and promote tourism in the state.”

“When the new tunnel is opened for use, the old British-era tunnel, which has outlived its capacity to allow traffic movement, will be strengthened. It would then be used as a pedestrian path,” he said.

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