An old tool of political advertising survives in Tiruchi through traditional stencils

With political parties increasingly favouring social and electronic media to canvass for votes, the demand for traditional advertising such as billboards, cutouts and stencils continues to nurture a small ecosystem where a talent for art is as important as engineering skill.

In his small shop in Tiruchi’s Anjuman Bazaar, K. Shanmugam, 52, displays a diverse array of stencils featuring the names and symbols of political parties that will be contesting the State Legislative Assembly elections next month.