Metro station to soon boast of a Dilli Haat

BANGALORE: There are more reasons to look forward to the Metro now. If all goes as planned, the city’s first Metro services may see a permanent village fair along the lines of Dilli Haat, which will be set up along the busy Old Madras Road.
The 800-m vacant land near the metro station on S V Road is all set to turn into a rustic art world selling interesting facets of rural Karnataka, that includes art works, handicrafts and even food.
At least a 100 huts with tiled roofs are planned to be set up. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) is also in talks with the state department of Rural Development and Panchayar Raj (RDPR) to use this space for the uplift of the rural art community. “We are jointly planning to set up a society that will co-ordinate and manage this village fair once the Metro services begin. The construction work on ground has begun and is expected to be ready with the Metro launch. The daily food mela will be similar to the one that was at Gandhi Bhavan near Kumara Park, which ended mid-May,’’ BMRC spokesperson U A Vasanth Rao said.
There are also plans to set up a contrasting urban fair at the restored boulevard area on M G Road, that will include an amphitheatre, modern art exhibition spaces and a multi-cuisine food court.
“The restoration work has started and is expected to be complete in another five months. We had to delay these as the station works had to be finished first.’’ Rao added. These two Metro stations at M G Road and S V Road will also be the only ones along Metro Reach-1 to have its walls and interiors painted with a winning design from the student community.