Kolkata’s streets are witnessing a remarkable fusion of heritage and art this Durga Puja season, as the city’s iconic yellow Ambassador taxis have been transformed into vibrant moving canvases. The innovative “Cholte Cholte 40” initiative showcases forty meticulously crafted taxis, each artistically portraying the evolution of Durga Puja celebrations across four transformative decades.
A Tribute to Four Decades of Cultural Evolution
This extraordinary project marks the 40th anniversary of Asian Paints Sharad Shamman, Kolkata’s most prestigious Durga Puja awards program established in 1985. Each taxi serves as a mobile time capsule, representing a specific decade from the 1980s to the present day, capturing how the festival has evolved from intimate neighborhood celebrations to a globally recognized cultural phenomenon.
Four contemporary artists have breathed new life into these fading symbols of Kolkata’s transport heritage. Bikramjit Paul captured the 1985-1995 period when Durga Puja transitioned from elite celebrations to community-driven Sarbojonin festivals, incorporating nostalgic elements like vintage radios and early Sharad Shamman advertisements. Meenakshi Sengupta depicted 1995-2005 as the era when Puja became a grand social carnival, featuring motifs of Chandannagar lights, Howrah Bridge tramlines, and the emergence of Bengali rock music.
Sayan Mukherjee recreated 2005-2015, the decade of spectacular themed pandals and corporate sponsorship, with designs featuring the goddess holding the Earth against shimmering finishes. Finally, Srishti Guptaroy interpreted 2015-2025 as the multi-sensory, digital age of Durga Puja, incorporating projection mapping, live performances, and reimagined Bengali icons like tigers, owls, chai glasses, and alpona in contemporary forms.
The transformation extends beyond exterior paintings. Each taxi’s interior has been designed as an immersive environment using wallpapers from Asian Paints collections, including the Paris-Calcutta series by Sabyasachi, along with fabrics and Royale Glitz paints to create authentic period atmospheres. Under-seat lighting, UV accents, and reflective finishes enhance the multisensory experience, making each ride a journey through Durga Puja’s artistic evolution.
This initiative follows Asian Paints’ 2023 project that transformed a Kolkata tram into a moving artwork to celebrate 150 years of the city’s tramways. By consistently choosing endangered transport icons as canvases, the company demonstrates its commitment to preserving Kolkata’s cultural heritage while celebrating contemporary creativity.
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