Imagine walking through your neighborhood and stumbling upon a vibrant mural that doesn’t just tell a story but actively fights a painful, profoundly disfiguring disease. In a groundbreaking fusion of art and public health, Gates Foundation India and Delhi Street Art are transforming ordinary walls into powerful weapons against Lymphatic Filariasis (LF). Lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, is caused by infection with parasites classified as nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filariodidea that are transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitos.
These aren’t just any murals. Painted with mosquito-repellent paint, they educate, protect, and inspire, making India’s fight against filaria visible, interactive, and impossible to ignore.
Patients of filaria are often ostracised, stigmatized, and forced to suffer in silence. There is also a notion that if a person is unwell, they don’t need to take any medicines for the treatment. But these murals won’t let people look away anymore. By placing them in high-footfall public spaces, the initiative ensures that conversations around prevention, compliance, and early treatment become part of everyday life.
This initiative, at Prithviraj Market, Khan Market, goes beyond awareness—it’s a call to action. The murals protect communities with their mosquito-repelling properties, encourage behavior change, and mobilize local participation. And with India setting its sights on eliminating filaria by 2027, these murals aren’t just paintings—they’re milestones in a national movement. This initiative exemplifies how creative solutions can engage communities in meaningful dialogue, inspiring action towards eradicating filaria.
The director general of NGMA, New Delhi, Sanjeev Kishor Goutam, said, “Utkalika is not just an exhibition, it is a celebration of India’s rich artistic legacy. It aims to inspire creativity, foster learning and create a dialogue between the past and the present.”
He added that the inauguration of the exhibition, which coincided with the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, raised global awareness about Indian modern and contemporary art.
Kshitish Chandra Das, who coordinated the programme, said that hosting this prestigious exhibition in Bhubaneswar is a landmark event for Odisha’s art community and provides an opportunity for visitors to engage with India’s vibrant artistic history. “For the first time, such prized and rare paintings of some of the greatest artists of India have been brought out of the gallery of NGMA for a temporary exhibition. For art lovers in Bhubaneswar, this exhibition is an unmissable opportunity to witness national treasures up close and engage with the legacy of Indian modern art,” Das added.
Earlier in Sept 2024, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi had proposed the Union minister of culture and tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, for establishing a branch of NGMA in Bhubaneswar as it would facilitate cultural exchange and collaborations between artists from different regions of the country.
Source: The Times of India
