Moodbidri: 1,000 Metre Art Work at ‘Alva’s Varna Jagrati’ Set to Create Record
By Shekar Ajekar
Daijiworld Media Network—Moodbidri (RD/CN)
Moodbidri, Jan 3: Nearly 1,000 artists from all over the state painted on a 1,000 metre length of cloth at Alva’s Education Foundation Complex, Vidyagiri, on Sunday January 3, with the aim of creating colour consciousness. This marvelous feat at ‘Alva’s Varna Jagrati’ is set to appear in the Limca Book of Records.
The painting event was held ahead of ‘Alva’s Virasat’, a national cultural extravaganza, to be held from Wednesday January 6.
The mega painting was a result of the efforts of Alva’s Education Foundation chairman Dr M Mohan Alva and artists of Mangalore-based Prasad Art Gallery owned by Koti Prasad Alva.
The 1,000 metre long art work was created after nearly 1,000 artists worked on it from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm on Sunday.
Around 931 paintings form part of this mega art work and the painters range from 18 to 85 years of age. The paintings are based on Indian culture and icons of Tulunadu and depicted the legendary heroes Koti–Chennaya as well as Yakshagana, ‘Bhootaradane’, ‘Jaatra’ celebrations in various temples in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district, contemporary worship in Tulunadu, ‘Lambani’ costumes, contemporary traditions in various temples and various forms of worship.
The young artists mainly focused on figurines while others tried to talk of the need for changes on blind beliefs, and depicted traditional machinery and the like.
Nadoja Kande Rao, president of Lalit Kala Academy, Bangalore, inaugurated the event on Sunday morning.
P Jayaram Bhat, managing director of Karnataka Bank, Kishore Alva, deputy general manager of Udupi Power Corporation, artists Ganesh Somayaji and Purushottam Adve, and veteran art critic Chi Su Krishna Shetty were present on the dais.
The concluding ceremony was presided over by M B Patil, senior artist from Bangalore, on Sunday evening.
Speaking on the occasion, he said that it is rare to have such a great number of artists gathering at a venue to paint.
Chi Su Krishna Shetty said that the confluence of nearly 1,000 artists here is a marvelous feat, which is a rare event in the entire country.
A G Pai, chief operating officer of Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ), K Ajit Kumar Rai Malady, president of Mangalore-based Kodialguttu Charitable Trust, were present on the dais.
B K S Varma and M R Balekai, both senior artists, said that it was memorable to be a part of this mega painting exhibition.