The Mahabharat, one of the largest epics of about 1.8 million words in total, is artistically summarized in a series of 111 paintings by a group of 15 students – nine to fourteen year-olds. Their paintings which depict the entire story of the epic are to be exhibited for a week at Amdavad Ni Gufa starting from May 1.
Artist Kaushik Patel, brain behind the project, says, “Epics have time-tested wisdom and these scriptures direct the mankind towards the re-establishing the vanishing human values in the present era. Here art of painting becomes a means of re-learning the age-old values for these young kids. Each of these 15 students has worked extremely hard to capture the tales and episodes of Mahabharat on paper.”
This series of 111 painting depicting the gist of Mahabharat is also documented in form of a book which will be inaugurated at the exhibition in presence of Swami Aadhyatmanandji, Pragjibhai Patel (MP Mandal), Joravarsinh Jadav, C D Mistry, Jay Pancholi, and Manan Reliya, art entrepreneur. The highlights of the exhibition are paintings based on the special mythological lore. The subjects include Bheem teasing Kouravas, Parshuram in act of cursing Karna, fire spreading within Lakshgrah, Bheem and Hidimba’s love makings, Arjuna shooting the target.
These paintings have refreshing vibrant colours, tender shapes and possess natural art. Paintings depicting tales of Arjuna kidnapping Subhadra, fight of Bheem and Jarasandh, Pandava’s leaving for forests, Bhima killing Kichak, Karna donating his kavach and kundala,
Karna meeting Kunti and Abhimanyu struggling to de-code Chakravyuh, Arjuna offering water to Bhishma, Pandavas leaving for Himalayas -are strikingly innovative.
Names of participants are Yash Shah, Aditya Malhotra, Sahir Shah, Jay Murthy, Varun Shukla, Kriyanshi Patel, Aastha Chandiwala, Aashni Thakore, Parthiv Gandhi, Dev Bhatt, Jonathan Daniel, Ritika Shah, Aara Sheth, Hehu Dave, and Sajni Doshi.
