Art Gallery: Painting scrolls hail the valour of unsung heroes of freedom struggle

“The celebration of the true essence of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat was visible in these workshops where the rich diversity of our country in its cultural aspects was witnessed while portraying the heroic lives and struggles of unsung heroes of India’s freedom movement. These have been diligently researched upon and painted enthusiastically by more than five hundred artists spread over two locations, Odisha and Chandigarh,” said Adwaita Garanayak.

New Delhi: The National Gallery of Modern Art, here celebrated Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav with Kala Kumbh- artist workshops for painting scrolls measuring approximately 750 metres, representing the tales of valor of unsung heroes of India’s freedom movement. The works of art done on the gigantic scrolls will form an integral part of the Republic day celebrations 2022, marking a unique collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Defence. Director-General of National Gallery of Modern Art Adwaita Garanayak said during a press briefing today, said a statement.

Adwaita Garanayak also said that these scrolls analyze the potential of art as a means to express National pride and excellence with varied forms of art from diverse geographical locations of the country. “The celebration of the true essence of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat was visible in these workshops where the rich diversity of our country in its cultural aspects was witnessed while portraying the heroic lives and struggles of unsung heroes of India’s freedom movement. These have been diligently researched upon and painted enthusiastically by more than five hundred artists spread over two locations, Odisha and Chandigarh,” he added.

Garanayak said, “The National Gallery of Modern Art has organized these workshops with the aim of amalgamating varied forms of visual and performing arts of the country to represent the true essence of unity and diversity in India. I believe that the gigantic scrolls when displayed at Rajpath will garner the interest of each individual to delve deep into the history of the unsung heroes of India’s freedom struggle and would also draw attention towards the unified visual aspects of modern, indigenous, and contemporary arts of India,”

He also added that aligning with the flagship program of the Ministry of Culture, the aspect of collaborations and collective work has been outlined in these workshops. At Odisha, the National Gallery collaborated with Kalinga Institute of Technology and Silicon Institute of Technology in Bhubaneswar from 11 – 17 December and at Chandigarh, the collaboration was done with Chitkara University from 25 Dec 2021 – 2 January 2022.

Kala Kumbh- Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav reflects the essence of unity in diversity while also analyzing the initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of progressive India and the glorious history of its people, culture, and its achievements. “The scrolls painted in these workshops may be seen as an embodiment of all that is progressive about India’s socio-cultural identity which has been imparted prominence on the large-scale scrolls as per the artistic vision of Adwaita Garanayak, Director- General, NGMA and mentored by eminent senior artists.

Ten gigantic scrolls of approximately 150 meters portray the tales of valor and legacy of the unsung heroes of India’s freedom struggle. Inspiration has also been drawn from the creative illustrations in the Constitution of India wherein the artistic elements painted by Nandalal Bose and his team has imparted a distinctive appeal along with several representations from the indigenous arts of India. These represent and showcase the rich cultural heritage of India along with the insights of struggles undertaken by the unsung heroes for achieving India’s freedom.

At Bhubaneswar, the narratives have reflected the tales of valor and historical elements of India’s movement of freedom struggle focusing on Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bengal, northeastern parts of India, and Andhra Pradesh with artistic expressions reflecting the indigenous forms of art such as Pattachitra, Talapatra Chitra, Manjusha, Madhubani, and JaduPatua to name a few.

At Chandigarh, the narratives have been a reflection of the tales of valor of unsung heroes from Ladakh, Jammu, Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan with artistic expressions reflecting the indigenous forms of art such as Phad, Pichwai, Miniature, Kalamkari, Mandana, Thangka, and Warli.

These artist workshops have been a huge success and were visited by several students at both venues. NCC cadets have also witnessed the creative representations of India’s unsung heroes of freedom struggle at Chandigarh. The closing ceremony of Kalakumbh- Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav at Chandigarh was graced by Banwari Lal Purohit, Governor of Punjab and Administrator of UT Chandigarh, and at Bhubaneshwar by Member of Parliament, Dr. AchutyaSamanta who is also the founder of KIIT and KISS.

Several other dignitaries also evinced great interest in the scrolls during their visits to the workshops. Series of cultural programs were held in the evenings during these workshops, reflecting upon the rich traditions of folk and indigenous performing arts of India in collaboration with Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre and Northern Zonal Cultural Centre.

The scrolls reflect traditional forms of art as well as contemporary expressions, which showcase the essence of the rich cultural and artistic heritage of India while also analyzing the absolute sacrifice and contribution of our unsung heroes proving to be a befitting tribute to Kalakumbh- Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and a true celebration of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat.

In the next phase, these scrolls will be placed artistically at Rajpath for the celebrations of Republic day, 2022. The strategic location of these scrolls would serve as an open gallery for all the citizens and it is intended to inspire people about the rich national heritage and legacy of Bharat in its true sense.