In Photos: Murals With a 'Desi' Twist Adorn Streets of Delhi Ahead of G20 Summit

Teams of 5-6 artists each have worked for weeks for over 12 hours a day to give Delhi the aesthetic makeover.

The murals share a common theme with the artwork across the venue and other areas of Delhi, and depict Indian culture with a twist.

(Photo: Ribhu Chatterjee/The Quint)

As New Delhi prepares to host the G20 Summit, a consequential diplomatic meeting of important world leaders, the capital is undergoing a aesthetic makeover with murals, paintings and other art projects.

From the moment the heads of state leave Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, they will be served with a visual treat with sculptures, fountains and art pieces in the surrounding areas – from six-feet tall lions to statues of dancing women. 

The route to Central Delhi, the location of the G20 Summit and various luxury hotels where the world leaders will be staying, also features two large sandstone elephants near Mehram Nagar.

An official, who was inspecting the statues near Mehram Nagar told The Quint, "A lot of these statues come from Odisha and Rajasthan. The statues will make a good impression and depict Indian culture." 

Delhi's Ring Road is also undergoing an aesthetic makeover, located in close proximity to the summit's venue, the Bharat Mandapam, and will be frequently used by leaders and conference delegates over the course of their visit. The murals share a common theme with the artwork across the venue and other areas of Delhi, and depict Indian culture with a twist. 

Collectively undertaken by Delhi's Municipal Corporation and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, the artwork takes its roots from contemporary Indian themes, Madhubani art and sketches, but uses pop-art techniques to give it a fresher look. 

The murals also pay tribute to staple descriptions associated with India, with paintings of street vendors, flower and pan shops, and Indians in traditional attire. 

Graffitis of various deities, like Lord Hanuman, painted under a railway bridge in New Delhi. 

One of the artists working on the mural told The Quint, "It is a great opportunity that we get to contribute to such an event. It is always a proud moment to see someone appreciate our art."

Another bridge's pillars had an illustration of Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji and other Indian historical figures. It features the likes of historic queen of the Holkar Kingdom Ahilya Bai Holkar, Maharana Pratap, and king of Kalinga – Asoka. 

Teams of close to 5-6 artists each have worked for weeks, using wooden and metallic ladders, for over 12 hours a day to complete the fully-handmade project not just on the main roads, but also in underpasses and on the walls of flyovers. 

However, prominent rights activists like Harsh Mander, former Deputy Mayor of Shimla Tikender Panwar, and senior journalist Pamela Philipose, during a public hearing in May 2023, released a report that preparations for the G20 Summit have resulted in the displacement of an estimated 2.5 to 3 lakh people. 

The Quint spoke to a 29-year-old woman working at a construction site designed for the summit, who said, "Imagine how it feels to be working for the same people who took my home away. I don't have any option."