ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY SHRI. SURJIT SINGH BARNALA, GOVERNOR OF TAMIL NADU AT THE 161’st  BIRTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF  RAJA RAVIVARMA AT  DURBAR HALL, RAJ  BHAVAN, CHENNAI ON 29/4/2009 AT 5.30 P.M.

I feel it a great pleasure to participate in the 161^st Birth Anniversary Celebrations of Raja Ravi Varma and distribute prizes to the students and address this distinguished gathering here today.

Art is an expression of inner feelings.  It is from with in. It is creativity. What the eye visualizes, the mind captures it and the hands bring it on the canvas. It crosses all barriers. Art inspires one and is exquisite. Shri Raja Ravivarma’s paintings are a class by themselves.

Today marks the 161^st Birth Anniversary of Raja Ravivarma and his contribution in the field of Art- Painting speaks volumes. Raja Ravivarma was aptly called as a “Prince among Painters and a painter among Princes”. He had brought laurels and his paintings carried the expression and were lively.

I am told that Raja Ravivarma drew pictures of animals, objects and scenes of daily life on the walls of his class room when he was at a tender age of seven. It is this inborn instinct and skill that had made him a great artist.

Raja Ravivarma’s paintings, depiction of scenes from the epic of Ramayana and Mahabharata are fresh in our minds. Recognition and encouragement are the foundation on which the future of a budding artist is laid. Parents and the teachers should encourage and motivate them.

Raja Ravivarma was known for adoption of western academic styles and for representing Indian Mythological themes. His paintings were divine and mirrored the scenes from religious and classical Indian Literature.

The Raj Bhavan, Ooty has a rare privilege of having the painting of Raja Ravivarma portraying Lord Buckingham which was done in the year 1880. I am told that while speaking of Raja Ravivarma’s skill Lord Buckingham stated that, while he had given 18 sittings for a European artist, Varma’s portrait of him was a better likeness and required fewer sitting. This bears testimony for Raja Ravi varma’s exemplary artistic skills. 

Our National Art attracts other western countries. We need our rich ancient culture and arts to inherit the richness of other arts without loosing its pristine form. We need to encourage art in all forms. Every Indian should be an ambassador of our rich art and culture. We should take the richness of our art to every nook and corner of the world.

We need more and more art schools to come up in every part of our country. Art schools should take our art and culture to the younger generation. I am sure that such Birth Anniversary celebrations will not only carry the greatness of the artist but will also create an inspiration in the youth and instill in them a spirit of motivation.

It is befitting to have conducted Art Competition for the students and the youth. I feel it a great joy to distribute prizes to the winners of art competition.

I convey my warm felicitations to Shri Valli Narayanan, Valli Art Gallery, Shri B.C.M. Prasad, great grandson of artist Raja Ravivarma, Shri K.V.Gridhar, Director, South Zone Cultural Center and to all the winners and participants of the art competition.

I conclude with the words of Dr. Rukmani Arundale, “Beauty is not merely our own analysis of form. Beauty is an expression of the soul. If we are to express the soul of India, we must express our genius in our own way. In order to do that we must become Indian and appreciate all that is in India.”

My greetings to all of you.

Jai Hind.

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