On the occasion of IR’s 150th year, a mascot in the form of a cartoon elephant, ‘Bholu’, was adopted. A real elephant was used in some of the celebrations.
Railways were introduced in India on 16 April 1853, with a line from Bombay to Thane. To commemorate the 150th year of the event, Indian Railways planned a series of events in 2002–03 which included launching a mascot. Bholu was designed by the National Institute of Design in consultation with the Railway ministry and was unveiled on 16 April 2002 in Bangalore. On that day, Bholu flagged off the Karnataka Express at 6.25 pm from platform number 1 of the Bangalore city station. According to the Indian Government (Railway Board)’s Manual for Public Relations Department (2007), Bholu was designated for official use effective 15 April 2002. Later, on 24 March 2003, they decided to retain Bholu as the official mascot of Indian Railways.
The mascot became very popular in India. When asked why they chose an elephant as their mascot and of their opinion on Bholu, Indian Railway officials said that Bholu is friendly and helpful. An Indian Government official release in 2003 described Bholu as an “ethical, responsible, sincere and cheerful icon”. The same report stated that other than denoting stability, it represents the Indian Railways workforce as well. Also in 2003 the Indian Government released a two-(?) rupee coin which carried the impression of Bholu on its reverse side.
Picture Credit : Google