National crafts mela: Exhibition pays tributes to freedom fighters

Chandigarh, December 9

An exhibition under a patriotic theme, “Meri Maati Mera Desh”, a brainchild of Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademy (CLKA), being held to pay tributes to freedom fighters and martyrs on the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal, 75th year of India’s independence, was in the spotlight during the ongoing Chandigarh National Crafts Mela at Kalagram.

The event is being hosted by the North Zone Cultural Centre in collaboration with the UT Administration.

As visitors leisurely enter the imposing gate, they catch a glimpse of a life-sized fibre statue of martyr Sardar Udham Singh extending a rousing welcome to the visiting art cognoscenti. As the visitors consciously troop into the exhibition, they instantly get imbued with the unique spirit of patriotism as they thread their way through the fibre busts and statues of freedom fighters, including Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai, Chandra Shekhar Azad and Rabindranath Tagore, taking them back to the times of the relentless struggle for freedom of the country.

A souvenir workshop has been dedicated to freedom fighters. Portraits and other artwork created by city artists leave visitors intrigued.

A clay pottery workshop is also held at the venue where artists and sculptors could be seen creating wonders through their nimble fingers. Prominent among those participating in the demo-cum-workshop is Tulsi Ram, a star sculptor of the city.

CLKA chairman Bheem Malhotra, the beacon behind several theme workshops in the tricity, said “The idea behind holding the exhibition was to pay tributes to the martyrs. Our upcoming exhibition will be on the Indian Heritage theme.”