Rajeshwari Kala Mahotsav Comes to an End
Rajeshwari Kala Mahotsav; the four-day event wrapped up at Apeejay College of Fine Arts last Saturday. The fest gave the attendees, in particular students valuable insights into different artistic techniques. It also celebrated the college’s 50th anniversary.
The valedictory ceremony was graced by Major General (retd) Balwinder Singh, president of the Indian National Trust for Art, Culture and Heritage (INTACH), who served as the chief guest.
Workshops on Folk Art
Rajeshwari Kala Mahotsav welcomed around 250 students, who participated in multiple workshops. These workshops detailed the intricacies of 11 nuanced art forms—Warli, Gond, Miniature painting, Madhubani, Pipli, Pottery, Terracotta, Phulkari, Block printing, and Wood Inlay work.
Padma Shree awardee Vijay Sharma guided the students through the technique of Pahari miniature painting, emphasizing how it illustrates cultural activities and festivals from the hills.
National awardee Manoj Kumar Chaudhary shared his expertise on Madhubani painting. Rajendra Kumar Shyam acquainted the students with Gond art, noting that it conveys folk traditions and the splendour of nature through storytelling. Orissa artist, Purna Chandra Ghosh, provided insights into the traditional craft of appliqué work.
From Maharashtra, Anil Chaitya Vangad shared his knowledge of Warli painting, illustrating village life, folk traditions, and mythology through geometric shapes intrinsic to this 1,200-year-old tribal art. Kolkata’s potter, Suman Pekua taught ceramics, giving a lesson in India’s rich ceramic heritage at the Rajeshwari Kala Mahotsav. He taught students techniques to create innovative pottery designs that fuse traditional and contemporary aesthetics.
Hirabhai Tejasibhai, the 18th generation of Kharad weavers from Kutch, Gujarat, educated the students about Kharad weaving and demonstrated the process of crafting traditional woollen carpets. He explained that the designs and motifs in Kharad weaving draw inspiration from the desert, utilizing natural dyes for thread colouring.
Rana Chandra Sahoo, a Patachitra and palm leaf engraving artist from Odisha, skilled in creating art on both cloth and palm leaf, demonstrated at Rajeshwari Kala Mahotsav, the production behind beautiful artworks through Patachitra that illustrates mythological and religious narratives.
Shammi Lal is dedicated to preserving the 250-year-old tradition of wood inlay in Hoshiarpur. While imparting his knowledge on this art form, he emphasized the importance of patience and creativity in mastering wood inlay techniques.
Balbir Singh, a master craftsman in wood carving with extensive experience, discussed Hoshiarpur’s rich heritage with the students. He encouraged the incorporation of both modern and traditional designs in wood inlay and crafts. Aadya Jain, a former student of Apeejay College, introduced the students to traditional hand-block printing methods.
Prizes and Accolades at Rajeshwari Kala Mahotsav
For the first time in AFCA’s history, a special Painting Exhibition was held at the Rajeshwari Kala Mahotsav, featuring artworks on sale. The funds raised from the exhibition were donated to charitable causes, underscoring the college’s dedication to social initiatives.
The students were also awarded prizes for creating outstanding fine art pieces. Jaskirat Kaur (MA Fine Arts) received the first prize for miniature painting alongside a cash reward of Rs 5,000, Gurmehak Kaur (BFA Semester 8) secured the second prize and a cash award of Rs 3,000 for Gond art, while Aashi Sharma (B.Voc. Product Design Semester 4) won for her inlay work and received a cash prize of Rs 2,000.
The Inter-State Craft Mela at Rajeshwari Kala Mahotsav
The Inter-State Craft Mela was another significant highlight of the Rajeshwari Kala Mahotsav. Here, artisans from various regions of India, including Odisha, West Bengal, and Banaras, among others, set up stalls showcasing and selling regional handicrafts, apparel, and artwork.
The Mela featured a stunning collection of crafts, such as the Madhubani art dupattas and sarees (Bihar), Warli art wall hangings (Maharashtra), Chamba embroidered table covers, handkerchiefs, caps, and dupattas (Himachal Pradesh), Appliqué wall hangings (Odisha), Palm leaf engravings, bedsheets, waistcoats, and bookmarks (Odisha), Gond art paintings, table mats, and bookmarks (Madhya Pradesh), and Kharad weaving carpets and wall hangings (Gujarat).
Among the popular stalls at Rajeshwari Kala Mahotsav was the Banaras stall for an exquisite assortment of sarees and suits made from Mashru Katan, pure handloom Katan, cotton, Matka cotton, Georgette cotton, Tussar silk, Chanderi, tissue fabrics, and wooden toys. The Punjab stalls had distinct Phulkaris, Juttis, kurtas, bags, jewellery, rugs, incense sticks, and agarbattis from the Khadi industry, along with intricate wood inlay boxes from Hoshiarpur.
Student Stalls at Rajeshwari Kala Mahotsav
Also on display at Rajeshwari Kala Mahotsav was a collection of space-saving antique-style furniture—sofas, dressing tables, and chairs—designed by Interior Design students of ACFA. Fashion Design students showcased block-printed suits, dupattas, kurtas, cushion covers, handmade jewellery, home décor items, and hair accessories. The BFA students presented doodle art, mandala art, and decorations made from POP.
Image Courtesy – Apeejay College of Fine Arts via Instagram
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