The Railways Mascot – Bholu
In the third blog of the series Mascot, we will be talking about Bholu, the guard holding a hand signal lamp. The mascot Bholu came into the picture on 16 April 2002 when he flagged off the Karnataka Express at 6.25 pm from platform number 1 of the Bangalore city station. The National Institute of Design in consultation with the Railway Ministry gave birth to Bholu.
The Story behind Bholu
In the year 2002–03, Railways planned to celebrate the 150th year of the introduction of Railways in India. Railways were introduced in India on 16th April 1853, with a line from Bombay to Thane. Indian Railways planned multiple events for the celebration and launching a mascot was one of the events.
Bholu was designed for official use as per the Indian Government’s Manual for Public Relations Department(2007). However, later on 24 March 2003, Railway Ministry decided to retain Bholu as the official mascot because of the immense popularity it received.
Read more about The Journey from a Cartoon Sketch to a Brand Mascot: Fido Dido
Why choose an Elephant?
One may wonder why Elephant was chosen as a mascot? The Railway Ministry had an interesting justification. Elephants are generally known for carrying people and freight, which is also the prime function of railways. Additionally, an elephant is considered reliable, helpful, and friendly and despite its huge size, it is not aggressive. As a guard, he projects an ethical, sincere, responsible, and cheerful image of Indian Railways.
He is also a symbol of the workforce of the Railways. Like a train in charge, he is responsible for the timely running of trains and for the safety of the passengers. The green light in his lamp denotes the movement of trains, the intention to go ahead with safety and positivism. He always accompanies the passengers day and night.
Click here to read the story of Maharaja: Air India’s Mascot
In 2003, the Indian Government went ahead to release a two-(₹) rupee coin with the impression of the mascot on the reverse side.
Conclusion
Bholu has become the universal symbol of trains and interaction with passengers. He is a perfect example to look at for brands/corporates that are trying to build a connection with audiences without having to spend much on advertising. Additionally, with his innocent looks, he has become a lovable figurine for children thus rendering a high recall for Railways.
About the Author:
Aditi Garg is an MBA student, filled with curiosity to learn and explore more of the Digital Marketing World. As a Digital Marketing Executive at Social Buzz, Aditi takes an active part in curating content, and strategizing marketing campaigns to execute them with perfection!
Source:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bholu_(mascot)
- https://www.irfca.org/misc/bholu.html
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Bholu-the-Railways-mascot-unveiled/articleshow/7099051.cms
- https://zeenews.india.com/home/bholu-to-stay-with-railways-the-hindu_93788.html
I love the idea behind the elephant that it’s about carrying people – he is pretty cute 🙂
Nice blog. Love the symbolism of the elephant.
Such a brilliant idea! Elephant is an awesome representation of how human should treat each other.
Loved this message behind the story…glad you shared this an amazing and important one with us..great work though…This is so deep and meaningful…
What a cool story! And I had no idea about this origin.
Awww, I love this story! I would let Bholu help me anytime–adorable. This is great advertising!
Haha, that is cute! Nice work Bholu
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