Chardiwari

The second main intervention at Tihar Jail was painting the prison's boundary wall. The prison has always been a significant presence in the neighborhood. The project explored whether art could humanize the area and alter perceptions of the prison complex. ‘Tinka Tinka Tihar’ is an anthology of poems by women inmates of Tihar Jail. One poem, ‘Chardiwari’ (‘Four walls’), expresses the pain of longing and separation within the prison walls, using the walls as a metaphor for isolation. In a project to modernize sign painting, a 90-word poem was painted on the prison's boundary wall in unique Devanagari typefaces. Over two weeks, 10 local and 5 Uttar Pradesh sign painters, along with 15 young street artists from India and abroad, painted the 968-meter wall, creating India's longest mural, visible as one drives past.

Subeh likhti hun/ I write in the morning

Shaam likhti hun/ I write in the evening

Is chaar diwari mein bheti bas

Tera naam likhti hoon

In faaslon mein jo gam ki judai hai

Usi ko har baar likhti hoon

Ye mere shabd nahi

Dil ki awaz hai

Khwahish zinda hai sochti hun,

Sochti hun subeh toh hogi hi,

Iss aas mein hun

subeh likhti hun

Shaam likhti hun

Iss chaar diwari mein behti bas

Tera naam likhti hun

In faaslon mein jo gam ki judai hai

Usi ko har baar likhti hun

Yeh mere shabhd nah

Meri dil ki aawaz hai

Khwahish zinda hai sochti hun