Safeguarding ancient temple legacy through art
Campaigning for the long-forgotten Jagat Mandir located 500 km away from Udaipur
Aim is to draw the Administration's attention to the sad state of historic buildings
NEW DELHI: Indian artist Kanchan Bagari seeks to create awareness about an ancient temple lying in ruins through her ongoing solo painting exhibition at All-India Fine Arts and Crafts Society here.
“Kala Ki Pukar Part-I” is Kanchan's second show at AIFACS and this time round too the artist wants the administration to wake up and do something fast to preserve places of historical and religious importance that are in a dilapidated condition.
Reading a newspaper article some time ago Kanchan came to know about a long-forgotten Jagat Mandir about 500 km away from Udaipur. “As the temple was in an area inhabited by a tribal population, no one visited the temple that has statues similar in design to Khajuraho. Accompanied by my entire family, I visited the temple for five consecutive days. We used to go early morning and I would get ample time to study the statues made in marble,” she says.
Rajasthan is known the world over for its art manifested through its myriad monuments, sculptures and paintings. “But now it seems that the unparalleled and unique art and sculpture of our State has started losing its relevance and sacredness. Sculptures that are hundreds of years old are being stolen and are being allowed to decay. If our artistic heritage is destroyed by theft and carelessness, won't such a rich tradition become extinct?” bemoans the artist.
The exhibition also has two of her earlier works – a self-portrait and a painting of gods.
Born in Sujangarh, Kanchan was drawn towards art during her childhood. She graduated from Bikaner University.
She is now gearing up for another exhibition at Bangalore next month.
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