How Painted Electric Boxes Are Turning Kolkata’s Streets into a Living Museum of Nostalgia

If you've walked down the streets of Kolkata lately, chances are you've paused mid-step at a seemingly ordinary electric box. What once carried only wires and warnings now wears colour, memory, and meaning. These painted electric boxes are far from random street art; they are mini time machines, narrating tales of the city's past, celebrating neighbourhood heroes, and turning everyday corners into public galleries.

From portraits of Satyajit Ray near Rabindra Sarobar to a tribute to Manna Dey at College Street, each box quietly whispers stories of the past while standing tall amidst the chaos of everyday life.  And we tracked the visionary of this project Mr. Patherya whose only motive is to celebrate Kolkata and people of Kolkata. With over Rs. 10 lakh spent and 400+ boxes painted since 2016, this movement is more than just beautification—It helps people to deepen their bond with Kolkata.

A Walk Through Art, Memory, and a Little Rebellion

When we asked Madur Patherya what inspired him to start painting electric boxes across Kolkata, he said with a smile, “The only motivation is that we don’t celebrate Kolkata. And I wanted to do that for all Kolkata people.” What he noticed on the streets was not just neglected utility boxes, but the cringeworthy content pasted on them. “Most of the boxes are covered with... spa posters, massage parlour posters... ‘full guarantee full satisfaction’, all the ridiculous kind of content and posters out there,” he said. That frustration gave birth to an idea, to transform these neglected boxes into meaningful tributes to Kolkata’s people and places. He added, “I thought, if we can change that and put pictures  of the people who lived in their particular area, from that particular para, put pictures of iconic historical landmarks in Kolkata."  He started near his home, close to Rabindra Sarobar. “Satyajit Ray used to live here in our para. Soumitra Chattopadhyay also settled here, after 1971, near Lake Temple Road. So, why don't we celebrate them? Celebrate the people who live around this neighbourhood?”

What started as a neighbourhood experiment quickly resonated with the Kolkata folk. “The reaction we got from people, we thought—it has to be scaled up. Eta toh amader parar jinis noye sudhu—puro shohor Kolkata’r, (this isn't only bounded to our locality it belongs to the entire city of joy)” he recalled. Around 2016 or 2017, they began expanding. Back then, artists were hired part-time. But as public response grew, the initiative did too. “And today, we’ve been doing this for approximately nine years. We’ve now crossed over 400 boxes. I’m noticing it’s thriving. Amra sudhu ekta game khelchi Kolkata te—pride game. Jokhon lokera dekhe r bole—‘Eta ki shundor, ki amader shohor, ki amader otit, amader culture (How beautiful it is! This is what our city is, what our past is, and what our culture is).’—that was our achievement.”

This city-wide project painted memories on boxes from College Street to Theatre Road and Park Street. “We celebrated College Street with the renowned figures who are deeply interlinked with its culture and literacy, like Manna Dey,” Patherya said. One of their full-time artists, Ranjit Chitrakar, continues to impress the locals. “People are moved by his art—they say, ‘Areh, era toh amader e parar lok! (These people belong to us)” Thankfully, the Electricity Supply Board of Kolkata, CESC, backed the initiative from the start. “They supported us completely. With just one condition—they said, do whatever you want to do, because this will benefit us. We have to keep the electrical boxes covered to keep them safe from rain. And we also can’t interfere and stop people from sticking those ridiculous posters. So, if you’re painting someone who is loved by the neighbourhood, it makes sense. People will embrace it automatically,” he explained. Their only request? “Just try to keep the identity number of each electricity box intact. That’s all,” he laughed.

在 Instagram 查看这篇帖子

Souranil (@exposure.mania) 分享的帖子

On asking about the cost, he answered candidly, “According to me, if we have done 400–500 boxes till now, then we have already crossed Rs. 10 lakh to redefine these electric boxes. And that doesn’t bother me—because when people indulge in this art and craft, that’s what keeps this work going.” Among all the stories, one remains special—Elgin Road. “We had done electric boxes there and got a very good response, because Netaji used to live there. The councillor got involved, the president got involved—they all loved the idea,” he said with pride. But what moved him most was not just the celebrity names. “We realised the pictures, the portraits, don’t have to be prominent—they have to be relevant. Like we’ve done a portrait here of Dr Rateriya—she had been an eye surgeon and consultant for nearly 40 years, and she lived there. Toh amra bolechhi, era amader lok—onake celebrate kora uchit (so we why not celebrate her as a part of us, our neighbourhood). And all the people happily celebrated her.”

“It’s not only Netaji ke celebrate korbo, Rabindranath ke celebrate korbo (we'll not celebrate only the famous people)... inspiring people who lived in the neighbourhood is also very important,” he concluded, with the kind of quiet conviction that’s turning forgotten boxes into timeless street stories. So, Next time you’re walking down the streets of Kolkata, don't embrace it—embrace Kolkata in every way possible!