Hyderabad, March 16: Mr. R.V. Karnan, Commissioner of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), presented cash prizes to the winners of the Traffic Junction Jewels Photo Contest 2026, a unique and first-of-its-kind contest in the country, at a function held at the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) on Monday evening.
The contest was organised by the Tourism Committee, one of the 23 expert committees of the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI), the 108-year-old apex trade, commerce and industry body.
The competition was designed to promote tourism and highlight the artistic beauty of traffic junctions across Hyderabad. Participants were encouraged to capture photographs of beautifully designed junctions, sculptures, murals, fountains, and other public art installations across the city.
The initiative aimed to promote tourism in Hyderabad and Telangana, inspire people to explore the city, appreciate its art and infrastructure, and showcase urban beautification projects that transform ordinary traffic junctions into attractive city landmarks.
Creating awareness about the contest and encouraging participation was a challenge initially. The contest remained open for 45 days and received more than 200 entries with over 700 photo submissions, reflecting enthusiastic participation from both professional and amateur photographers.
First Prize winner was Veeragoni Rajani Kanth Goud, a photojournalist with Namaste Telangana, won the First Prize. His winning photograph captures a sculpture of children playing located along the Narsingi–Kokapet stretch of the Outer Ring Road (ORR) in Hyderabad. The installation, created by Architect Kumara Swamy Goud, reflects the cultural spirit and everyday life of Telangana. The artwork symbolises childhood joy, community life, and the vibrant cultural identity of the region.
Second Prize was bagged by Nomula Rajesh Reddy, photojournalist with Sakshi Telugu Newspaper, secured the Second Prize for his photograph of a monumental golden sculpture depicting a contemplative human head held between two hands along the Narsingi–Kokapet corridor. The artwork symbolises thought, awareness, and reflection, encouraging commuters to pause and observe their surroundings. The floating head supported by hands represents the human mind in reflection, while the striking golden colour gives the installation a monumental presence in the cityscape.
Third Prize was bagged by Mogilishetty Sandhya, an amateur photographer and mother of two, who won the Third Prize for her photograph of a vibrant art installation near Shilpakala Vedika in Madhapur. The sculpture features stylised human figures in red, white, and green lifting a metal globe, symbolising unity, teamwork, and collective effort. The dynamic installation has become a notable urban landmark reflecting the collaborative spirit and modern identity of Hyderabad.
The five consolation prize winners were: Avula Srinivas (Photographer, Eenadu, he bagged two consolation prizes); G. Balaswamy (Photographer, Sakshi); Ganesan Ponnambalam; Shalini Jain (Photographer, Telangana Photographic Society) and Aavula Srinivas (Photographer, Eenadu)
The winners received ₹10,000 for First Prize, ₹7,500 for Second Prize, ₹5,000 for Third Prize, and five consolation prizes of ₹1,000 each, along with certificates and shawls.
Mr Karnan appreciated the Tourism Committee for conceptualising the contest. He noted that GHMC has installed more than 100 art installations across the city as part of its urban beautification initiatives, but many citizens are not fully aware of or do not appreciate these efforts.
“We are grateful that the Tourism Committee recognised these efforts and highlighted them through this contest,” he said.
Mr Karnan added that the beautification of Hyderabad will continue, and suggested that more such creative initiatives be organised to promote Hyderabad’s cuisine, murals, wall paintings, and other cultural elements.
He also assured GHMC’s support for the Tourism Committee’s future initiatives, including capacity-building programmes for homestays.
R. Ravi Kumar, President of FTCCI, said: “Traffic junction art demonstrates how even everyday urban spaces can become symbols of creativity and identity. Through the Tourism Traffic Junction Jewels initiative, FTCCI seeks to highlight the artistic beauty of Hyderabad’s public infrastructure and encourage people to explore the city’s evolving cultural landscape. These installations not only beautify the city but also contribute to tourism and civic pride.”
D. Ramchandram, Co-Chairman of the FTCCI Tourism Committee and the driving force behind the initiative, said that art installations at traffic junctions transform ordinary road spaces into cultural landmarks and visual attractions.
He noted that the inspiration for the competition came from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to “Explore India before exploring the world,” encouraging citizens to visit at least 15 domestic destinations before travelling abroad.
Ramchandram emphasised that traffic junction art gives cities a distinctive identity, enhances urban aesthetics, promotes tourism, and strengthens the connection between citizens and their city.
He added that many cities across India—including Indore, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Bengaluru—and global cities such as Dubai, London, Singapore and Paris have invested significantly in large public art installations.
He also suggested that traffic junction installations should be regularly maintained with support from corporate organisations, a proposal that the GHMC Commissioner agreed to consider. The Commissioner also assured that efforts would be made to install information plaques near artworks explaining their history and significance.
Ramchandram further proposed that the FTCCI Tourism Committee could curate a coffee table book on Hyderabad’s Traffic Junction Jewels, documenting the concept, history, artists and significance of these installations, to which Mr Karnan expressed his support.
Prakash Ammanabolu, Chairman of the Tourism Committee, said the contest was designed to encourage citizens to observe, appreciate and document the artistic installations across the city.
The photographs submitted for the contest were evaluated by a distinguished panel of jury members and photography professionals.
The awards ceremony brought together members of the FTCCI Tourism Committee, participants, photography professionals and distinguished guests to celebrate creativity and raise awareness about Hyderabad’s urban art and tourism potential.-
