The road from Vathuruthy Railway Gate to Venduruthy bridge on Willingdon Island is set to transform into a vibrant open history museum. Stretching 1.3 kilometers along the wall of the Kochi Naval Base (from the Udaan gate to the Vembanad Gate), a massive mural depicting India’s maritime history is taking shape. 

A collaborative project by the Better Kochi Response Group (BKRG), Regional Sports Centre and the Indian Navy, the Kochi Naval wall art will portray India’s sealinks from ancient times to modern day. Involving local artists, businesses and governmental organisations, this initiative banks on Kochi’s appetite for art to create a meaningful mural conveying India’s maritime legacy. 

Comprising 250 murals, which will be painted over the next ten months, the crowd-funded project will be one of the longest murals of its kind in the country, say the stakeholders, who plan to submit it to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Chairman of the project, retired Vice Admiral Prem Suthan, says the story of India’s seafaring history will unfold through the paintings. “It will be of interest to the public to see how India’s oceanic history has been narrated in the form of murals. The narrative will touch upon the ancient, medevial and Vedic histories until modern history,” he says.

“A project such as this requires extensive research. We formed a committee of historians, who collected data relevant to the subject that could translate into paintings. They went through a lot of material, visited the maritime history museum in Kochi and the Navy was of great help, providing information and access to books, which helped develop the theme,” says S Gopakumar, architect, artist and founder of the BKRG. 

Artistic curator Cyril P Jacob, co-founder of Palette People Artists Residency, which is executing the project, chose Malayali artists who were familiar with mural art and were comfortable painting outdoors. “Painting murals requires a different skill set. The artists had to endure the harsh summer sun to while working,” says Cyril. 

The paintings will be 15-foot-wide and 10-foot-high panels and the 15 panels that are ready depict the Mesopotamian trade route and the boats used during the Vedic period. 

Artists Sheeba Joshi, AT Pushpangathan, K Gopakumar, TL Joshi, Ratheesh Thadikkaran and Jobin Joseph have taken immense care to paint the 15 panels in less than 20 days, adds Cyril. As the work continues, more artists would be added to the fray, adds Cyril.

The artists have been provided high-quality acrylic paint. Beside each painting will be an information panel including a brief history of the painting, name of the artist and sponsor. 

Considering its potential to attract tourists, a wider walkway along the wall is being planned, with lighting and an audio narration of the paintings.