Most Beautiful Railway Stations In India That Even Won Cash Prizes

In this democratic India, development is possible only when both people and government support each other in every aspect. Most of the people blame the government for everything and they try to put a clean mark on them. If everyone stops throwing dirt on the roads then Swachh Bharat mission will be truly successful. But no! People throw cigarettes, chocolate wrappers, and waste papers on roads. If you are also one among them, then please think this once and contribute your best towards the cleanliness of society.

Now, after reading this, if you are thinking today is cleanliness awareness day, then I say it’s not. But there is something to feel proud and something to learn and implement.

In order to improve the travel experience for passengers, the Indian Railways launched the “Swachh Rail, Swachh Bharat” campaign in 2015, to raise the cleanliness standards of stations.

As a part of this campaign, in 2017, it ranked 407 largest revenue-generating stations, based on their cleanliness and sanitation situation.

This year, as a part of this campaign, the Railways proposed a new competition, an in-house station beautification contest in an attempt to combine recognize creativity along with cleanliness.

A total of 62 entries from across 11 railway zones were received by the railway board, and the winners were selected from this pool. The cash prize for first prize winners is Rs 10 lakh, while the cash prize for second and third prize winners is Rs 5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh, respectively.

Ballarpur and Chandrapur are the most beautiful railway stations in the country.@PiyushGoyal @RailMinIndia @Central_Railway pic.twitter.com/tthJVeb3s7

— Sudhir Mungantiwar (@SMungantiwar) May 3, 2018

The beautification project of railway stations was introduced to make railway stations look more inviting and attractive.

The winners were determined by a committee of Executive Directors (EDs) of Station Development, Passenger Marketing, Tourism and other departments.

1. Chandrapur And Ballarshah Railway Stations Bagged First Prize

The Railway Ministry has come out with a list of best railway stations, and Chandrapur and Ballarshah railway stations in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district are at first position.

“A beautification drive for these two stations was undertaken a year ago. A team of artists from the Nagpur Government Chitrakala Mahavidyalay worked there,” said Mr. Mungantiwar, the guardian minister for the Chandrapur district.

“A picture of a tiger on the stairs of the Ballarshah railway station has become a selfie-point. No passenger leaves without taking a selfie with the tiger,” said the minister. He added that Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal called him to congratulate over the distinction the two stations have achieved.

2. Madhubani And Madurai Railway Stations Bagged Second Prize

Bihar’s Madhubani station and Tamil Nadu’s Madurai station received the second prize. Both the stations feature stunning artwork and popular scenes from local culture on its walls.

Madhubani station which was one of the dirtiest railway stations in India now sports a completely different look. Thanks to 200 Artists from Mithila who gave it a makeover with their traditional style of art.

Similarly, local artists filled the walls of Madurai junction by painting murals onto them. One of the murals in the air-conditioned waiting hall of the Madurai station depicts a scene from the wedding of Goddess Meenakshi, at the Sri Meenakshi Amman temple.

3. Lastly, Third Prize Has Gone To Gandhidham, Secunderabad And Kota Railway Stations

Gandhidham in Gujarat, Kota in Rajasthan and Secunderabad in Telangana received the third prize. The paintings in the Gandhidham station depict a mix of Gujarat and Kutch culture.

On the other hand, the Secunderabad station has been decorated with beautiful Cheriyal scroll paintings. These paintings derive their lineage from the Cheriyal village near Warangal. Secunderabad was also India’s first railway station to bag the coveted ‘Green Railway Station’ tag given by the Indian Green Building Council – Confederation of Industry (IGBC-CII).

Kota station walls are graced by the unique Kota-Bundi style paintings that remind travelers of Rajasthan’s royal past and spectacular heritage.

Central Railway General Manager DK Sharma said, “One is tempted to go closer to the drawings and sculptures, observe and take a selfie. Besides, this will help to boost tourism and generate employment in the region.”

And it would be really nice if people maintain cleanliness in every railway station. Will you contribute your part in Swachh Bharat? Share your opinions in the comments.