To enhance the grandeur and divinity of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Lord Shri Ram, the Yogi Adityanath government is organising a variety of cultural programmes at different locations in Ayodhya.
This responsibility has been given to the Culture department. The Lalit Kala Akademy, operating under the Culture department, has meticulously planned the schedule of various events.
The planned events include a wall painting workshop on the main walls of Ayodhya Dham, captivating sand art portraying Lord Ram along the banks of the river Sarayu, an exhibition showcasing Ram Bal Leela and diverse artworks, as well as programmes featuring mehndi application and photography. These programmes started on January 18 and are set to continue until and after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony.
Director of Uttar Pradesh Lalit Kala Akademy, Dr Shraddha Shukla, said that approximately 40 artists from various districts across the state were currently engaged in the creation of wall paintings. These paintings cover nearly 3,000 square feet on the CRPF premises wall near Maharshi Valmiki International Airport, about 1,500 square feet on the wall of the Ayodhya Collectorate building, and approximately 1,200 square feet on the wall of the Irrigation department building situated on the Ram Ki Paidi Marg.
Additionally, at the Maharshi Valmiki International Airport, a statue of Maharshi Valmiki, Lord Surya statue on Surya Kund, and Lord Ganesh statue made from Odisha sandstone on Ganesh Kund are being installed.
Furthermore, starting from January 18, an exhibition of sculpture and painting, based on various episodes such as Lord Ram’s Bal Leela, Ram’s Gurukul Leela, Hanuman’s Leela, Tadaka Vadh, Sita’s Swayamvar, Ram-Jatayu Milan and Hanuman-Sita Milan, is being organised. This exhibition, showcasing the artistry with paintings, will continue till January 26.
Furthermore, 40 paintings and 10 sculptures will be created by 50 artists from different districts of the state. Along with this, home studio workshops based on Lord Shri Ram and his life will be organised in 10 districts of the state namely Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Jhansi, Kanpur Nagar, Agra, Aligarh, Meerut, Bareilly and Lucknow. This workshop will be held between February 1 and February 29. An exhibition of the artifacts selected in the workshop will be organised in Ayodhya Dham.
The Lalit Kala Akademy, in collaboration with the Culture department, is organising mehndi and other workshops for women and girls, supported by the Asia Delfic Council, where a thousand artists will participate.
Additionally, as part of the Ramotsav programme, a three-day independent photography competition will be held for photographers from the state and the country. The competition, which will begin on January 20, will conclude on January 23. The selected artworks from the competition will be exhibited at Ramkatha Park by Lalit Kala Akademy. Furthermore, the winning artists will be honoured with awards.
Not only this, at Naya Ghat of the river Sarayu, renowned sand artist Padma Shri Dr Sudarshan Patnaik, along with seven fellow artists, will organise a sand sculpture art camp based on Lord Shri Ram and Ramcharitmanas, aiming to set a world record.
