Auto-poet mode on: Documenting life lessons on the go

This Instagram account is documenting Bengaluru’s auto poetry, one post at a time.

The streets of Bengaluru are always buzzing with amusing sights. While street art often gets its due, poetry and verses written on vehicles, especially auto rickshaws, have only recently gained attention online, thanks to an Instagram page called Auto Poetry.

Started in 2017, the account documents the finest Kannada poetry found on the backs of automobiles spotted in the city. “We always came across these lines on vehicles, and soon started seeing them as an expression of the writer’s feelings rather than just rants or ramblings. One poem, in particular, spoke about the uncertainty of life by comparing it to idli/vada batter! That was what made us think about starting an account,” says Kaustuba KV, a 37-year-old sales strategist consultant in the city. The page was founded by him and his friend, Vikas Gorur, a 36-year-old engineer.

When one scrolls through the page, they’ll notice a pattern in the quotes written on the autos. “The most common theme is about break-ups or being rejected by a prospective romantic partner. There are many shades to this expression. Some are angry at the girl; some are still hopeful about a second chance; some end up rejecting the idea of love itself; and some start giving advice from their experience with heartbreak,” says Gorur. But the themes keep changing with age and circumstances of the driver-poet. He elaborates, “A young driver talks about love. Someone a little older talks about mother versus lover/wife. Some, especially those who migrated to the city from a small town, are fuelled by ambition and speak about it. Hometown pride is a major recurring theme as well. Middle-aged drivers write about more philosophical topics. Sometimes, it gets dark and philosophical when they start talking about fatalism and the futility of life.”

In fact, many auto-poets are also current affairs-savvy, writing on issues afflicting the world, such as the pandemic, explains KV. He adds, “In the recent past, there have been a lot of lines written about Covid-19 and also tribute poems for late actor Puneeth Rajkumar. Caste identity is also a prominent theme in auto poetry.”

While the page started out as their pet project, it grew in popularity. And today, it has over 600 posts and nearly 6,000 followers. Speaking about their journey, KV says, “In the beginning, about eight out of 10 pictures posted on the account used to be clicked by us only. But even back then, we never really set out to find poems. We just captured what we came across when we were out. The posts weren’t as prolific in the beginning as both of us worked remotely and did not have many opportunities to go out every day. But with time, the contributions from the followers of the page increased and now, 90% of the posts are contributions. We now have sufficient material in the pipeline as well,” KV adds.

Ask them if they ever get to speak to the auto drivers, and they tell us, “Over the years, we have spoken to only a handful of them. They are happy to talk to us, but they don’t see it as a big deal. They are very modest about it. For them, it is a part of their routines, almost like an equivalent of updating one’s social media status. We also spoke to a shopkeeper who paints the vehicles. He told us that the drivers mostly come with their own content and ideas.”