The word ‘flyover’ usually paints a picture of concrete and zig-zagging roads, and in Kolkata a colour palette of blue and white. The Axis Mall Flyover in New Town, though, is infusing a spot of joy in Kolkata’s commercial hub with an Insta-worthy hangout space
All images by Vedant KariaThe underside of the flyover and its symmetrical pillars are painted in striking pop colours — pinks, yellow, oranges and blues — and carry words like ‘strive’, ‘share’, ‘learn’ and ‘zeal’
Much like the popular space beneath Gariahat Flyover, this too has been revamped to a community space complete with huge chess boards where passersby can square-off in a battle of brains
A section of the area is devoted to permanent standees with compelling quotes by Bengali and global personalities of repute including Swami Vivekananda, Amartya Sen, Satyajit Ray and Rabindranath Tagore
There is also a play area for kids under the age of six, with a slide and see-saw. The muddy ground ensures that the children don’t hurt themselves while playing
Along the stretch, spaces have been sublet to eateries who have set up stalls. In the evenings, the place is buzzing and people throng here for a bite and adda, and it is difficult to find an empty spot
The area is equipped with comfy seating, where you can sit a while, watching cars zoom past or look out over to the green pockets nestled around the area, taking a pause amidst the bustle of Kolkata’s IT hub