Every city has drab electricity boxes, some sprayed with splashes of tobacco by uncles on the street, and others flaunt movie posters that you have never even heard about. Believing that art lies in the smallest of places, an initiative in Kolkata is turning these dull boxes into bold canvases of historic paintings, people, and personalities.

Inspired by blue heritage plaques in London that connected the figures with the monument circa the early 1990s, heritage activist Mudar Patherya transformed all the muted boxes into many-hued canvases. With permission and approval from Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC), this initiative did not just breathe life into those boxes but it is also capturing the history of Kolkata.

Educating the neighbourhood about the rich heritage, culture and various eminent personalities hailing from the City Of Joy, Patherya immersed himself with research about the history of the locality and the city. Walking down the streets of South Kolkata you can see faces of personalities like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Pranab Mukherjee, and Mother Teresa, among many others. Each electricity box highlights the people, conversations, and events associated with the streets where they are located. Electricity boxes at the Lake Temple road glorify Satyajit Ray by bearing paintings that introduces the walkers to three of his films.

Lauding the charm and culture of Kolkata neighbourhoods, Patherya feels that this initiative will also stop people from littering and sticking posters and notices on these boxes. Although it is just in Kolkata at the moment, Patherya hopes that this initiative is taken up nationwide and helps us connect with our history and past creatively while beautifying our public spaces.

Scroll down for a glimpse of Kolkata’s electric history.

Feature image courtesy of Mudar Patherya via Facebook.