Gaya: The temple town of Gaya is being spruced up to welcome lakhs of pilgrims expected during the fortnight-long Pitripaksh mela, with colourful murals depicting the city’s spiritual and cultural heritage being painted on walls across the mela area.According to a press release issued by district administration, the wall paintings are part of the ‘Paint the City’ initiative launched by district magistrate Shashank Shubhankar. Walls along major ghats of the Falgu river, mela areas, important pind daan ‘vedis’ and approach roads are being decorated with theme-based paintings depicting the significance of Pitripaksh, Lord Vishnu’s footprints, the history of Gaya and episodes from the Ramayan.Ahead of the mela, scheduled from Sept 25 to Oct 10, the administration has undertaken large-scale wall painting work to beautify the city and create a welcoming environment for pilgrims arriving from across the country and abroad, the release said.District public relations officer (DPRO) Deepak Chandra Dev said the murals also showcase Bihar’s traditional folk art, including Madhubani and Manjusha paintings. The paintings carry messages on cleanliness, environmental protection, water conservation and avoiding single-use plastic, along with the slogan ‘Swachh Gaya-Swasth Gaya’.The campaign is aimed at enhancing the experience of pilgrims and offering them a glimpse of Gaya’s heritage, Dev said. He added that the administration was also appealing to residents and pilgrims to protect the murals and maintain cleanliness in the mela area.
