The municipality has taken the initiative to convey social messages, local identity, and diversity through attractive paintings.
What you should know
Khandbari Municipality has launched a new initiative to promote art, entrepreneurship, and tourism by transforming the empty walls around the city entrance, filled with weeds, dirt, and dust, through creative art.
With the slogan ‘Beauty with cleanliness’, the municipality has started the work of giving a glimpse of social messages, local identity and diversity through attractive paintings on the walls in collaboration with local artists.
The empty walls visible upon entering the city were previously dirty. Now the colors and art on those walls have attracted the attention of both travelers and locals. The municipality’s Chief Administrative Officer Padamprasad Bajgain said, ‘The beauty of the city is not in colors, but in ideas and community participation. We have made such empty walls a medium of art, education and self-reliance.’ According to him, the specialty of this creative campaign is the emphasis on the protection and promotion of local artists.
Om Kshitij, a talented artist from Chandanpur Nageshwori, and his team have painted various messages on the walls. “These arts are not just paintings,” says Om Kshitij, “they are reflections of society, culture and community coexistence. We have presented our identity, our culture and tourism through colors.”
The municipality is also trying to give a positive message to school students through this initiative. Mayor Mahesh Thapaliya said, “Art is not just a matter of interest, but also a business opportunity. The city sees students as an opportunity to connect painting and creativity with self-reliance and employment.” This has instilled in students the belief that they can earn money by learning art.
Not only this, murals are also expected to contribute to the promotion of local tourism. Mayor Thapaliya said, “These artistic murals located at the entrance to the city have now started becoming ‘photo spots’ for visitors. This not only makes the first impression of the city attractive, but also introduces Khandbari as a ‘city that speaks through art.’”
This campaign, which presents the city’s diversity, language, culture and ethnic coexistence through color and line, has put the promotion of plurality into practice. The murals, which have become a collective reflection of different castes, languages and cultures, have given the message that ‘our differences are our beauty’.
This small effort by Khandbari Municipality has integrated local cleanliness, beauty, art, tourism and self-reliance into a single formula. Chief Administrative Officer Bajgain says, “It is not just a matter of colors and pictures, it is a matter of thinking, message and confidence.” This campaign, which started with a blank wall, is now moving towards becoming the identity of Khandbari, he said.
