Facebook is running a mural contest to mark the opening of its first office in India.

India-based artists over the age of 18 are invited to apply from now until October 22, by completing an application form, uploading samples of their work and writing a brief essay explaining their vision for Facebook in India. A panel of Facebook employees will decide the 10 finalists and it will then open to online voting from November 1 to 14. The winner will be invited to the new office in Hyderabad to paint a mural on a prominent wall and will also take home a $2,000 cash prize.

The Facebook India page says: “Facebook India just opened an office in Hyderabad and we are looking for a passionate and talented artist to decorate a mural that reflects the impact and potential of Facebook in India.” The social networking site is working with Wildfire to run the promotion, the ninth such collaboration to date.

The graffiti works are a well-known feature in Facebook’s Palo Alto office and it’s possible this mural could do the same for the new Hyderabad facility, the site’s first office anywhere in Asia. It certainly seems like an engaging and positive way to mark Facebook’s big foray into India.

Facebook recently recorded 20.9 million unique visitors a month in India, overtaking Orkut for the first time, according to comScore. With a population of 1.1 billion people in India, Facebook’s potential for further growth is huge.