Mega painting event "Alva’s Varna Jagrithi" to enter Limca Book

Mega painting event "Alva’s Varna Jagrithi" to enter Limca Book

Mangalore Today News Network

Moodbidri, Jan 4: Alvas Educational Foundation organized a stupendous art event that will make an entry into the Limca Book of Records. During this event, called “Alva’s Varna Jagrithi,” more than 1000 artists from different parts of Karnataka painted splendid paintings on a 1000-meter long canvas at Alva’s Education Complex, Vidyagiri, on Jan 3, Sunday. This event will be followed by “Alva’s Virasat,” a national-level cultural fest, which will be organized from Jan 6, Wednesday. 

“Alva’s Varna Jagrithi” was jointly organized by Dr. M Mohan Alva, the chairman of Alva’s Education Foundation, and Prasad Art Gallery, which belongs to Koti Prasad Alva. The work of art on the 1000-meter long canvas was created between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. by a group of around 1000 artists on Sunday.
























The 1000-meter long canvas comprises 931 paintings by painters between 18 and 85 years of age. All the paintings depict Indian culture in general and the culture of Tulunadu in particular. They illustrate the legendary heroes Koti Chennayya as well as Yakshagana, Jaatra, Bhootaradane, and many more religious and cultural practices of the people of Tulunadu. Some of the paintings also depict contemporary methods of worship in modern temples, Lambani costumes, and many more. The younger artists focused on figurines, while others tried to convey the necessity of eradicating blind beliefs. 

Alva’s Varna Jagrithi was inaugurated by President of Lalit Kala Academy of Bangalaore Nadoje Kande Rao on the morning of Sunday. The dignitaries on the dais were P Jayaram Bhat, the managing director of Karnataka Bank; Kishore Alva, the deputy general manager of Udupi Power Corporation; artists Purushottam Adve and Ganesh Somayaji; and Chi Su Krishna Shetty, the veteran art critic. M B Patil, a senior artist from Bangalore, presided over the valedictory programme, on Sunday evening. He said that Alva’s Varna Jagrithi, which has brought together more than 1000 artists, is indeed a unique feat. Chi Su Krishna Shetty also said that the event was indeed rare. 

A G Pai, the chief operating officer of Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) and K Ajit Kumar Rai Malady, the president of the Kodialguttu Charitable Trust, based in Mangalore, were the dignitaries on the dais. Senior artists M R Balekai and B K S Varma said that being part of this mega painting event was indeed memorable.