Delhi autorickshaw backrests become moving art displays

A yellow-and-green autorickshaw travels through Delhi with another autorickshaw painted on the backrest behind its passengers.

The image is among several designs appearing on the city’s auto seats, where upholstery has long doubled as a mobile canvas. A survey five years ago found hearts, pining lovers, the Taj Mahal and hill landscapes on backrests across Delhi. Many autos still use plain covers, while others carry painted scenes.

Two parrots touch beaks on one seat. Another shows a dog asleep in a basket. A veiled woman shares space with a lion; elsewhere, a woman appears beside a heart bearing the words “Sirf Tum.” Women recur as subjects in these designs.

Passengers may spend a ride looking at their phones or watching traffic, with the painted cushion behind their backs. In daylight, the plastic covering a backrest can catch roadside reflections, changing the colours and contours of the picture beneath.

The workshops behind the seat covers

Replacing an auto’s upholstery costs between ₹1,000 and ₹1,200. Auto markets in Dakshinpuri, Jheel, Hastinapur and Janakpuri handle the work in Delhi. Workshops on Gurugram’s New Railway Road also take on the job.

The painted seats travel through traffic with each fare and wait at kerbsides between rides.