Eye-catcher: Collage of city in Sheila mosaic

NEW DELHI: The first thing that catches one's eye in front of the Delhi pavilion at the trade fair is a massive picture of chief minister Sheila Dikshit. This 10 by 12 feet endearing portrait is unique in that it is made of over 3,000 small pictures that exhibit the different cultures, cuisines, arts festivals, monuments and people of the city.
"A lot of thought went into designing this portrait.All the small pictures have been taken in Delhi and represent the city's culture and ethos from a man celebrating Diwali to a tourist visiting the Red Fort. On looking closer, you can find the entire city on a single canvas,'' said Vrinda Pohoja, the daughter of Ved Pohoja the man behind the concept. The outer face of the pavilion has been designed in the form of the Indraprastha indoor stadium keeping in mind the Commonwealth Games 2010. But what is truly pulling a crowd outside the pavilion is the dance to foot-thumping Bollywood numbers by four live mascots, including Commonwealth Games mascot Shera.
As you enter the pavilion, self-help kiosks greet you. A proposal has been made to the Delhi tourism ministry to have 500 self-help kiosks at pivotal points like airports, hotels, railway stations, etc, across the city in time for the Games for the convenience of domestic and foreign tourists.
These touch-screen interactive kiosks will tell you where you are in the city and how to get to your destination. It will give information on hotels, tourist attractions, important phone numbers, shopping, restaurants, CWG venues and hospitals in English, Hindi, German, French and Japanese. "It will also give the correct fares that taxis and autorickshaws should charge so that the tourists are not fleeced,'' said Vrinda Pohoja.
And visitors, who were attracted to these kiosks, were certainly impressed with the concept. "I just came back from Singapore and they also have such information kiosks at bus stations. It is an ambitious project for Delhi and will be of great help to tourists who will be coming in for the Games,'' said Vikram Sundra, a BTech student who was at the fair.