Sobha Singh’s famous artwork unveiled
Ravinder Sood
Palampur, November 30
A musical performance and a prize distribution function summed up the six-day Sobha Singh Art Festival at Andretta,10 km from here, today.
Chief guest Dr RS Gill, director, North Zone Cultural Centre, Union Ministry of Culture, released Sobha Singh’s Bharat Mata painting. Made in 1950, the painting shows Bharat Mata in the avatar of Durga riding a lion and holding the National Flag with the Ashok Chakra displayed prominently. It was discovered recently on the social media and the family of the late artist decided to print the images for art lovers and citizens. Sobha Singh is credited with standardising images of Sikh Gurus, other religious personalities and popularising personalities and figures related to love legends of Punjab and nomadic tribes of Himachal Pradesh. “We hope with the release of the new picture of Bharat Mata in its perfect imagery with all important symbols of nationalism like the Ashok Chakra, National Flag and lion which also depict youth power of our great country, the controversy about Bharat Mata will end and the painting will be accepted widely by countrymen,” said Dr Hirday Paul Singh, grandson of the late artist.
Sufi singer from Punjab Manak Ali enthralled artists, participants, tourists and villagers. Winners of three workshops on folk art ‘Likhnu’, art and craft and greeting card were awarded by the chief guest. He appreciated the Sobha Singh Memorial Art Society for organising art workshops and a poetic symposium to commemorate his 116th birth anniversary. He said the North Zone Cultural Centre would continue to extend support for such artistic endeavours. Dr Gill announced that all trainees would be hosted by the NZCC to visit museums, art galleries and other historical places in Delhi and Chandigarh. He also announced Rs 50,000 for such workshops.
The director said the next Sobha Singh Art Festival would be held in Chandigarh on a larger scale. He said efforts were under way to open the North Zone Cultural Sub-Centre at Andreta. Earlier, KG Butail, president of the Sobha Singh Memorial Art Society (SSMAS), welcomed the chief guest and enlisted activities carried out by his society. Dr Hirday Paul Singh, secretary general, SSMAS, said a book on letters written by and to Sobha Singh would be published soon. He thanked the North Zone Cultural Centre, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, for supporting the festival enabling the society to train 75 rural women and students in folk art. Bibi Gurcharan Kaur, daughter of Sobha Singh, industrialist SPS Bains, Dr PK Mehta, US Sakhi from Norway, fans and followers of Sobha Singh, art lovers and prominent citizens were present on the last day of the function.
