The Karnataka Lalithakala Academy will hold a seven-day special exhibition of ancient Jain murals, which have been documented by the academy, in Bengaluru in January 2018.
Speaking after receiving felicitations accorded by Kalamandala, Dharwad, here on Wednesday, academy chairperson M.J. Kamalakshi said that this special art exhibition will be organised on the historic occasion of Mahamastakabhisheka to be held in Shravanabelagola. The academy is also contemplating holding a similar exhibition in Shravanabelagola, she added.
This exhibition will introduce connoisseurs of art to some rare and finest murals of ancient times. They were originally painted on the walls of the Jain shrines in Shravanabelagola. Not many are aware that this famous Jain pilgrimage centre, well known for its Gomateshwara monolith, also houses ancient Jain mutts having some of the finest murals giving insight into Jain mythology. Some of these murals were lost in the passage of time. However, they have been copied and preserved by a team of artists in the 1970s. These rare paintings will be exhibited on this occasion, she said.
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Ms. Kamalakshi added that most of the visitors to Shravanabelagola do not visit any place other than the Gomateshwara monolith. And, this exhibition will introduce the rich heritage of murals of the State to tourists coming from across India and abroad, she added.
Ms. Kamalakshi said that during her tenure, she would plan to focus more on tribal and folk paintings and their documentation. An action plan would be chalked out in consultation with the members of the executive committee who are yet to be appointed by the State government, she said.
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Earlier, Kalamandala president Madanmohan Tavarageri, Kumud Tavarageri, artists Madhu Desai, Gayatri Desai and writer Malati Pattanshetti felicitated Ms. Kamalakshi. Several artists from Hubballi-Dharwad were present.