Noida International Airport is set to welcome passengers on June 15 with more than just its modern steel-and-glass architecture. Two major artworks by Padma Shri artist Paresh Maity—a 100-foot painting titled Jagriti and an installation featuring over 8,500 brass bells called Mystic Abode—will greet visitors, adding a soulful touch to the new terminal.
Commissioned for Magic and Immersion
Commissioned nearly two years ago, the artworks came with a straightforward brief: create something magical and immersive that gives the building a soul. Maity, 61, a native of Tamluk in West Bengal with a career spanning nearly five decades and 90 solo exhibitions across India and abroad, rose to the challenge.
Jagriti: A Panoramic Tribute to Uttar Pradesh
Jagriti, meaning awakening, is a painting measuring 8 by 100 feet and composed of six panels. Completed in October 2025 and installed shortly after, it draws its philosophical structure from Sadanga, the six limbs of art that form the bedrock of classical art theory. Each panel is devoted to a place of religious and cultural significance in Uttar Pradesh:
- The first panel depicts Varanasi with its ancient ghats and temples.
- The second panel shows Sarnath, where Gautam Buddha delivered his first sermon.
- Two panels capture the Taj Mahal in Agra at sunrise and the still waters of Kusum Sarovar in Mathura-Vrindavan.
- The fifth panel paints Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram.
- The last panel portrays the Mahakumbh at Prayagraj, full of the energy of the world's largest spiritual gathering.
“The work reflects the idea of spiritual awakening and India’s rich civilisational legacy,” Maity said. He spent nearly two years in research and travel, revisiting the six sites, sketching and absorbing before committing anything to panel. A single thread runs through all six panels—the light of early morning, from which the painting derives its name—conceived to capture a unified visual journey through Uttar Pradesh’s geography at the state’s newest gateway.
Mystic Abode: An Intimate Spiritual Installation
The second work, Mystic Abode, is an installation comprising 18 panels and more than 8,500 brass bells. “The installation invites visitors to pause, engage their senses, and experience a moment of calm amid the pace of contemporary life,” Maity explained. Where Jagriti is panoramic and celebratory, Mystic Abode is intimate, drawing on the symbolism of the bell as an object of spiritual attention across Hindu and Buddhist traditions.
Art Aligned with Architecture
Both works align with the terminal’s architecture. The airport’s red granite surfaces echo the region’s sandstone monuments, while steps and open courtyards evoke the ghats of Varanasi and havelis of the Gangetic plain. Maity believes his paintings and installation extend that vocabulary into colour and sound. “Airports are public spaces visited by millions. I wanted the works to evoke a sense of wonder, beauty and emotional connection. It was important that they reflect India’s rich heritage, culture and spirituality while creating a memorable experience,” he said.
For passengers rushing to board an early flight or waiting out a delay, the works offer a reason to stop, look, and for a moment, feel somewhere rather than merely passing through.
Maity's Artistic Legacy
Maity is also credited with creating one of the world’s longest murals for the international terminal at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. His works are part of collections at Rashtrapati Bhawan, the British Museum, the Rubin Museum of Art in New York, and the National Gallery of Modern Art.
