New Delhi: In a move to enhance cooperation and to showcase linguistic similarity between Sanskrit and Lithuanian, the Lithuanian embassy in New Delhi has initiated a street art project in collaboration with the Delhi Street Art, the Harcourt Butler School in Delhi, and the winner of the Young Lithuanian artist, Linas Kaziulionis.
Lithuanian Embassy in association with Vilnius University and Lithuanian language Institute has published a dictionary of auspicious 108 words in Lithuanian and Sanskrit which sound and mean the same.
The most common day-to-day Sanskrit-Lithuanian words like Sapna, Madhu, Agni, and Deva in both Devanagari and Lithuanian script are being painted on the outer wall of the school in the colourful composition depicting windows with shutters in the traditional Lithuanian style and pattern, offering a glimpse into mysterious little research historical connection between Lithuania and India.
The selection of the words is meant to appeal to any passing-by reader. The Sanskrit-Lithuanian dictionary was met with great interest and appreciation from the people and the Government of India. The Sanskrit-Lithuanian Street Art project completion ceremony took place in the presence of Diana Mickeviciene, Ambassador of Lithuania in India, Delhi Street Art, and friends of Lithuania in Delhi.
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During the ceremony, the artist symbolically painted the final keywords of the mural "Deva" and "Agni", which have a profound meaning to both nations and thus represent the linguistic and cultural connection between the people of Lithuania and India.
During the event, Lithuanian Ambassador Diana Mickevičienė said, “This Street Art project is the first of its kind visual illustration of the Sanskrit-Lithuanian linguistic similarities. It is a message of friendship as well as an open call for joint research of this Lithuania-India cultural connection to open cooperation avenues in other areas as well."
The artist Linas Kaziulionis said, "It was a great and unforgettable experience for me to work on the street art project in Delhi. The people here are very warm, engaging, and helpful. My mission here was to illustrate the Sanskrit-Lithuanian linguistic connection and bring it to the street, making it simple and understandable for all. India is a very colourful and unique country that inspired me a lot and left a huge impression on me as an artist. Most of all I want to emphasise the importance of this painting – the cultural cooperation between India and Lithuania".
Linas Kaziulionis is a young, talented, globe-trotting Lithuanian artist, who has come to Delhi for this project just after the exhibition of his paintings in New York. He has been active in the art world for more than ten years and participates in interdisciplinary and painting projects.
