R-day: Painted Freedom Struggle Stories Be Portrayed By Artists O f Odisha, Punjab

New Delhi, Dec 26: An exhibition of painting scrolls representing the heroic lives and struggles of the unsung heroes of India’s freedom movement and the culture and ethos of the country will be held along the Rajpath as a part of Republic Day celebrations, officials said.

Around ten scrolls, which would be approximately 75 meters long, would be strategically placed along the Rajpath on Republic Day, 2022, showcasing the traditional and contemporary art forms of India, drawing inspiration from the lives of the heroes of India’s independence movement and the Constitution of India, said sources.

The scrolls are being painted in Bhubaneswar and Chandigarh as a part of the ongoing Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, and the event is being held jointly by the Defence Ministry and the Culture Ministry.

The event for the scroll painting has been titled, “Kala Kumbh-Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”.

The paintings will represent and showcase India’s rich cultural heritage of indigenous and contemporary visual art practices, focusing on diverse geographical locations of India, said the source.

“The scrolls would reflect inherent artistic visuals pertaining to the grand celebrations of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and would also reflect our National pride,” an official said.

The painted scrolls are also aimed at enhancing aesthetics of urban landscape, and is also aimed at analyzing the potential of art as a means to express national pride and excellence.

For creating the scrolls, events are being held in Bhubaneshwar, and Chandigarh.

In the Odisha capital, around 270 artists participated to document the history of the freedom movement by depicting the stories of unsung heroes creating a meta-narrative of 75 years of India’s independence. Several traditional artists who are masters in their art form and have a long line of art lineage, also participated in the event.

The narratives in the paintings reflect tales of valour with artistic expressions reflecting indigenous forms of art such as Pattachitra, Jhoti-Chitra artists of Orissa, the Medinipur and Kalighat Patachitra artists of Bengal and their Hooghly and Birbhum, Bankura and Burdwan variants, Bihar’s Manjusa and Madhubani artists, the Jadu Patiya artists from Jharkhand and the traditional harvest Sohrai art practiced by Santhala, Munda, Oraon and Prajapati artists, as well as artists from Andhra carrying forward Machilipatnam traditions. Besides, contemporary art forms will also be used to weave the stories.

Following the Bhubaneshwar event, the second workshop is being held at Chitkara University, Chandigarh from December 25 to January 2, where artists from states of northern region will portray the tales of struggle of the unsung heroes of freedom movement in these states.

Living legends of the Indian Army – Param Vir Chakra awardee Subedar Major Honorary Captain Bana Singh, and Param Vir Chakra awardee Subedar Sanjay Kumar, and Major DP Singh (Retd), an Army veteran and India’s first blade runner, will also be present and will interact with all the visitors and cadets of NCC to narrate their stories of valour.

The Director General, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) along with the Advisory Board of NGMA, consisting of eminent artists including professors of eminent universities, will act as mentors for the scroll painting.