Other States - Orissa   

An artistic touch to the occasion

BHUBANESWAR: As the nation gears up for the special celebration of India at 60 on Wednesday, two young artists of Orissa salute the motherland through their art on the eve of the Independence Day.

Sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik, who is just back from Germany after bagging the prestigious Public Prize in the 5th international sand art championship held at Berlin, has sculpted a 60-feet national flag on the golden beach of his home town of Puri to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Indian Independence.

“I used 60 tonnes of sand and it took me six hours to sculpt it with assistance from 20 students of my Golden Sand Art Institute,” says Mr. Patnaik who is known for his contemporary touch to his creations.

“I dedicated this 60-feet long national flag in sand to all freedom fighters of my country as a tribute to their sacrifice for the nation,” he says.

Back in Bhubaneswar, city-based painter Chintamani Biswal has drawn the attention of the city folks to the sad state of affairs of the country with display of his huge painting of Mother India at 60 at the crowded Ekamra Haat in the heart of the city.

An alumni of the B.K. College of Art and Craft, Biswal’s 80 square feet painting with oil on canvas shows Mother India as a woman at 60 who is clad in a saree replicating the national tri-colour.

Tired with the tragedies that has paralysed her children’s future, the old and tired woman still marches ahead towards the sun of hope at the horizon, the painting portrays.

“I felt like painting it his way last night to express my feelings of frustration with the affairs of the nation. This is the expression of an artist’s anguish that I wish to share with the people around us. It was complete by dawn and would be inaugurated on Wednesday morning by my beloved teacher and mentor Baladev Maharatha, the renowned Oriya painter,” says the artist.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Panel decides Budhia needs counselling
Lift irrigation projects to be set up
A living legend of south Orissa
Podampeta villagers to be rehabilitated
Three killed in accident
Youth held on murder charge
An artistic touch to the occasion
Team visits Gopalpur coast
Night-long vigil against foeticide

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu