Allahabad :

The ancient Egyptians did it, the Minoans in Greece did it, the Romans in Pompeii did it, and now the elite in Sangam city are doing it-beautifying the walls of their homes with exquisite and brightly coloured murals.

And they’re choosing age-old Indian traditional art forms to adorn their walls with Pattachitra, Bhil, Manjusha, Madhubani, Tantrik and Gond paintings to do so.

Be they Mithila paintings etched with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens and matchsticks using natural dyes and pigments or Warli paintings attributed to adivasis from the North Sahyadri range in India, art lovers are inviting artists from Bihar, West Bengal, Mumbai, Chattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh to splash Indian culture on the walls of their houses and even offices.

“It’s a unique experience when you get all the walls of your house painted with Indian folk and traditional art,” said Shooby Bakht who has got all the rooms of her house painted with traditional artwork.

She added, “Creativity has no barriers and art is always fuelled by innovation and creativity.”

Bakht has company in people like Vinay Mehrotra, Rohit Shukla and Praveen Pandey who have opted to get the walls of their houses inked with tribal and traditional folk art.

Says Vinay Mehrotra, “I have chosen Gond paintings from Madhya Pradesh and Madhubanis from Bihar to beautify the walls of my house. Every art form has its importance and value and once painted, it leaves an everlasting impression.”

Bihar-based artist Shrawan Paswan, who is in Sangam these days for some painting projects, said, “The craze for Indian folk art has increased manifold among people across the country. Artists of different art forms are being invited by individuals to paint houses as well as offices.”

“Madhuvani, Bhil, Gond, and Warli paintings are in demand not just in India but abroad as well,” said Paswan, adding, “It takes time and patience to draw outlines and turn barren walls into attractive pieces of artwork.” But for clients who commission these paintings, the results are often breath-taking.

“The pattachitras wherein pattas or cloth-based scrolls were painted with mythological and epic stories put together in a sequence are also liked by many who particularly ask for such embellishments on their walls,” said the artist, adding, “Every traditional art form has ‘hidden words’ waiting to be described with a brush and some paints.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Allahabad / by Kapil Dixit / TNN / August 14th, 2016

Artistes from across the spectrum pay tribute to Veena Sahasrabuddhe.

Meeta Pandit

(Hindustani vocalist)

The association between our families dates back to several years since both were closely connected with the Gwalior gharana. One of the reasons why I felt an affinity towards her music was because we share our musical roots. She was one of the most significant branches of the banyan tree called Gwalior. The speciality of the gharana, the aada chautaal, came through beautifully in her singing. Her father and guru Shankar Shripad Bodas, one of the earliest disciples of the legendary Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, moved to Kanpur at the behest of his master to take music to the industrial town. Such was the family’s guru bhakti. Impeccable intonation, clarity of approach and a varied variety repertoire made her stand apart as a vocalist. A great teacher, committed musician and a balanced person, I will always regret not having been able to record her singing for the ‘Masters of Hindustani Music, a series I was working on. But she leaves behind a rich treasure for us to hold on to.

Vijay Siva

(Carnatic vocalist)

Soaked in fine aesthetic values with a strong traditional base, Veena Veena Sahasrabuddhe represented the fast dwindling community of genuine musicians. Although her music reflected her father and brother’s influence and training, it also showcased her individual brilliance. Those who listened to her last concert in Chennai at Kalakshetra auditorium will remember the ease and grace with which she sang. I was at Pune a few years ago to wish her speedy recovery. Her gentle smile of acknowledgement remains as fresh as her music in my memory.

Ranjani Ramachandran

(Hindustani vocalist and faculty member, Santiniketan)

I have known Veenatai’s (as she was fondly referred to) family since my childhood since I grew up in Kanpur. I also learnt from her brother Pt Kashinath Shankar Bodas in Kanpur. I was under Veenatai’s tutelage for more than 10 years in Pune. I have had the privilege providing vocal support at her concerts, which was a great learning experience. While steeped in the Gwalior gharana gayaki, especially the Paluskar styleof vocalism, she also imbibed nuances of the Kirana gharana. She admired Vidushi Kishori Amonkar and Pandit Kumar Gandharva’s gayaki apart from many others. Gifted with a powerful and captivating voice, her music and performances were always emotionally intense. She was a also a scholar, who took a keen interest in everything related to music — teaching, composing and writing (one of her published books ‘Nad Ninad’ is a compilation of bandishes composed by her, and her brother and father). With a Masters in vocal music and Sanskrit, she was a Sangeet Praveen (equivalent to Ph.D) from the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. Her thesis was on Tarana of which she was one of the finest exponents. As a teacher, she was dedicated and a hard taskmaster, who took keen interest in the progress of her students. As a person, she was affectionate, positive and a perfectionist. It was an unforgettable moment to be conferred the Pt. Ramkrishnabua Vaze Yuva gayak puraskar on the same day when my guru was awarded the Pt. Vinayakbua Patwardhan Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar by Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in December 2013 in Pune.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Friday Review / by Chitra Swaminathan / July 08th, 2016